100 years ago today: Does your back hurt? Take these!
By AmberLynn
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
United States
March 4, 2021 4:16pm CST
This was borrowed from The North Mississippi herald. (Water Valley, Yalobusha Co., Miss.) 1888-1929, March 04, 1921, Page 2, Image 2 Found on chroniclingamerica.loc.gov
I'm actually amused by these such ads. Not all of them, but a great many that I've read talk about "nervousness" as a symptom. Men and women alike I've seen this attributed to. I don't know, just the wording gives me a bit of a chuckle.
I think most of the medicines from this time were "snake oil" types. Filled with things that seemed nice but didn't do much of anything and were cheap to produce. Not that there weren't some genuine medicines mixed in, but I also think of all the bad things (arsenic) and such that people consumed!
7 people like this
6 responses
@DaddyEvil (174482)
• United States
4 Mar 21
Do you have any of those miracle pills? Ten cents for a trial pack isn't bad at all, considering one of my meds costs $6 a pill! *sigh*
2 people like this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
5 Mar 21
Well that's outrageous but I'm also not surprised! @DaddyEvil. Let me guess, it's also just a fifteen day supply?
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (174482)
• United States
5 Mar 21
@ScribbledAdNauseum No, we buy direct from the manufacturer, so are only allowed to buy a 90 day supply. It hurts to pay that much money when I'm just editing manuscripts to pay our bills, so good thing we have savings to back us up.
When I had insurance from Walmart, each prescription just cost $4 a month. Without insurance, most are still not bad, but that one... *sigh*
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
5 Mar 21
@CarolDM They really and truly are. I wonder what our ancestors would think of us if they knew we collected them? They just threw them in a pit.
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
5 Mar 21
But the bottles they put the things in are beautiful. I've watched people dig for such bottles and they are collectible if they're in decent enough shape.
1 person likes this
@CarolDM (203396)
• Nashville, Tennessee
5 Mar 21
@ScribbledAdNauseum Those bottles are one of a kind.
1 person likes this
@kaylachan (84785)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
4 Mar 21
They had no idea back then and if it worked, it worked. Medicine is changing.
1 person likes this
@kaylachan (84785)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
5 Mar 21
@ScribbledAdNauseum Oh, yeah, I know. I don't deny that. But, then, we've learned those things were bad.
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
5 Mar 21
@kaylachan Unfortunately we had to learn it the hard way. Mothers used to give this stuff to their babies!
@kaylachan (84785)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
5 Mar 21
@JimBo452020 Except it is, and it's considered illigal for a reason.
@louievill (28846)
• Philippines
4 Mar 21
Some of them may had contained opiods or opium derivatives that relaxed the central nervous system and reacted directly with brain receptors. Most of these were banned and regulated in the 70s when they were excessively abused especially by the hippie culture.
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
5 Mar 21
Oh yes, you're most likely right. A lot of the "geniuses" and "inventors" of those times were on opiods and became dependent.
1 person likes this
@cmoneyspinner (9218)
• Austin, Texas
5 Mar 21
We had a cerasee vine in our backyard. As far as my mother was concerned, it was the cure for everything!
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
5 Mar 21
I had to look that up as I'd never heard of it. It certainly sounds like it has some good benefits. Not sure it's quite the cure all, though. 
was it very bitter?
was it very bitter?1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
8 Mar 21
@cmoneyspinner Oh yuck! That kind of makes me think of castor oil. It works, but it's gah awful!
Oh yuck! That kind of makes me think of castor oil. It works, but it's gah awful!1 person likes this
@cmoneyspinner (9218)
• Austin, Texas
8 Mar 21
@ScribbledAdNauseum - It was awful! The bitterest worst taste ever! We used to tease my mom and tell her "Of course it is a cure. Whatever is in you the cerasee taste so bad that it chased it away."
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (222417)
• United States
5 Mar 21
Pleasant Pellets from the Invalids' Hotel. I can just imagine what was in them!
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
5 Mar 21
Oh I can just...
Most medicines then were not safe in the least.
1 person likes this
