Here is a picture that a friend took of a display in Cincinnati Museum Center. It has some of the herbal medicines that were popular in the late 1700s- early 1900s. All the medicines they liked to use back then were “heroic” treatments, things that produced an immediate and dramatic effect. Most of them were very spicy or very bitter. . . . Over on the left side of the cabinet i can make out Myristica (nutmeg), pulvis Jalapae (powdered jalap, which induces vomiting), caryophyllus (clove powder), cayenne pepper, lactose, and black pepper. . . . In the second column we have cubeb pepper (spicy and camphor-y, good for circulation of lymph and blood, and other bodily fluids) on the top shelf, and down at the bottom is senna, which is still a widely used laxative today. . . . Next column on the middle shelf there is some sort of dandelion based remedy, which is digestive and stimulates the liver, and i can also see a bottle of Groves’ Chill Tonic. This was a malaria remedy with quinine, back when we had malaria here. Mr. Groves made a fortune selling that (it also became a popular temperance beverage and was used to make babies fat), and he invested it in real estate development in Atlanta at first and then in Asheville NC, where he built a resort, the Grove Park Inn, and helped define the character of Asheville as a cool destination. . . . In the next column i can make out a tincture of clematis, and then on the bottom shelf what might be Humulus (hops, a sedative) and Scott’s emulsion, which is a flavored cod liver oil supplement. . . . On the counter, resting against the leech crock, is and ad for Senecio, a diuretic (among other things) and in the middle is one for Mayapple, a violent purgative and emetic. On the other end is one for baptisia, a remedy for febrile illnesses. All three are somewhat poisonous. . . I still have and occasionally use most of these in my practice. But usually in small amounts. Dramatic effects may be good for business, but often not for people’s bodies. . . . #herbalmedicine #historyofmedicine #cincinnatimuseumcenter #hallofjustice https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs7HMD6hcnI/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=7tqtivz01gcr
