A Look Back at Old-Time Medicines
A Look Back at Old-Time Medicines
Antique medicines contained everything from arsenic to opium -- and promised
instant cures.
By Katherine Kam
WebMD Feature Reviewed By Louise Chang, MD
Pity the poor Victorian-era family whose bottle of Mrs. Winslow's Soothing Syrup
ran dry. It was touted as an indispensable aid to quiet bawling babies and
teething tots, and it packed a wallop of an ingredient: morphine.
Today, no one would dream of calming an infant with morphine, but the museum of
medicine is littered with such discarded remedies. Some were fanciful potions
that quacks concocted to make a buck, while others were legitimate -- even
revered -- treatments that eventually yielded to more enlightened science.
For example, opium suffers a tainted reputation these days. But doctors have
favored it throughout history, especially to control coughing and diarrhea.
"It was regarded as an all-purpose drug. One physician called it 'God's own
medicine,'" says James C. Whorton, PhD, a medical historian and professor at the
University of Washington School of Medicine.
'Legitimate' Medicine of an Earlier Era
Doctors used arsenic and mercury to treat syphilis before the introduction of
penicillin in the 1940s.
One company sold heroin tablets to relieve asthma symptoms.
I don't know alot about some of the technical things about medicine but I have
to agree with you on what you have said Barb! Every time you look at the TV they
are selling some kind of drug for something. (my mom was complaining about that
very thing back in the seventies. ) A couple of weeks ago someone broke into my
house and only stole my meds.
As far as alcohol goes I watched it do it's damage to myself and my brother as
well. (he killed someone drinking and driving and never spent one day in jail!)
He died about 5 years ago from a massive heart attack in his sleep.
I quit drinking 13 years ago and of course I don't think I would be here now
if I had not.
I guess I'm not saying anything special...I'm just agreeing with what you said
and giving my 2 cents worth in as well.
Will any of this change? Who knows. I am a little weary of seeing people die
when it's unnecessary.
Today is special for me in that I was given another day to live and breathe
and write down what I think in this group. Have a nice day everyone.
Randy
BARB <irisdancinghorse@...
-Hey all; this about sums it up on the medicine capitalism; Watch
the movie "THE CONSTANT GARDENER"
Its well done, need a few kleenex as its sad too, but takes place in
Africa and what our "good old boys" have done to capitilize on the
sick!!!!!!! Hiv patients, and meds, and pharm companies will
continue to do so if theres money in it for them; just my humble
opinion here, but we live in a world of drugs?????? How about
prevention to begin with? but we do now and think later, and wonder
why Kids in America are out of line; heck they are just watching the
world news and what some politians get away with, and as so it goes;
Integrity is lost for the most part in this world, by many, honesty
as well, and if someone can make an almighy buck off of a vulnerable
person it will just continue to happen!! Please do watch that movie
if you want, its well worth the watch, and opened my eyes to the
facts, its not a conspiracy theory, as that is a theory as Dennis
you wrote so well before, but conspiracy is real and exists in our
world and many are held the hostage of the medicinal world. Just my
peice on it, btw; the biggest abused drug in america is in liquid
form its called ALCOHOL!!!!!!!AND MORE PEOPLE DIE FROM ALCOHOL
ABUSE, AND ADDICTION, AND WITHDRAWAL THAN EVEN HERION WITHDRAWAL;AND
WE ARE CERTAINLY NOT ADDRESSING THAT DRUG TO THE NATIONAL PUBLIC AS
IT SHOULD BE!!! JUST THE WEED ISSUE, WHICH IS A PLANT, AND MANY USE
IT FOR PAIN, OR SLEEP AND DONT TAKE OUT A WHOLE DAMN FAMILY DRIVING
DONE THE ROAD USING IT:) OK i WILL SHUT UP NOW LOL. SORRY, JUST WAS
ON A BAND WAGON THERE FOR A MINUTE:) hUGZ BARB
Hey Barb,
Is that family in YOUR town too?
Thats what my docs 'sacred' me with when I basically refused to stop. But then
I thought about it and quit driving. The bus system is really pretty good here
in H-Town as long as you don't sit with someone that hasn't bathed in a while,
but that could me....so... If they (the family of four are up there this week, I
may borrow someones car).!!
Del
BARB <irisdancinghorse@...
-Hey all; this about sums it up on the medicine capitalism; Watch
the movie "THE CONSTANT GARDENER"
Its well done, need a few kleenex as its sad too, but takes place in
Africa and what our "good old boys" have done to capitilize on the
sick!!!!!!! Hiv patients, and meds, and pharm companies will
continue to do so if theres money in it for them; just my humble
opinion here, but we live in a world of drugs?????? How about
prevention to begin with? but we do now and think later, and wonder
why Kids in America are out of line; heck they are just watching the
world news and what some politians get away with, and as so it goes;
Integrity is lost for the most part in this world, by many, honesty
as well, and if someone can make an almighy buck off of a vulnerable
person it will just continue to happen!! Please do watch that movie
if you want, its well worth the watch, and opened my eyes to the
facts, its not a conspiracy theory, as that is a theory as Dennis
you wrote so well before, but conspiracy is real and exists in our
world and many are held the hostage of the medicinal world. Just my
peice on it, btw; the biggest abused drug in america is in liquid
form its called ALCOHOL!!!!!!!AND MORE PEOPLE DIE FROM ALCOHOL
ABUSE, AND ADDICTION, AND WITHDRAWAL THAN EVEN HERION WITHDRAWAL;AND
WE ARE CERTAINLY NOT ADDRESSING THAT DRUG TO THE NATIONAL PUBLIC AS
IT SHOULD BE!!! JUST THE WEED ISSUE, WHICH IS A PLANT, AND MANY USE
IT FOR PAIN, OR SLEEP AND DONT TAKE OUT A WHOLE DAMN FAMILY DRIVING
DONE THE ROAD USING IT:) OK i WILL SHUT UP NOW LOL. SORRY, JUST WAS
ON A BAND WAGON THERE FOR A MINUTE:) hUGZ BARB
It was an attempt at humor. The doctors here (from different offices and
professions, all seem to use the "unsuspecting family of four" when I ask if I
can drive again... Oh...and I didn't use spellcheck..Sacred should be scared.
Del
BARB <irisdancinghorse@...
Hey Del:) I am tired and its late, but didnt quite understand your ?
you asked, can you either email me at my address user name