The Midwest pioneer, his ills, cures, & doctors - University Library ...

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offered for public trial and inspection." From poison to
panacea in five years— yet this rapid inflation did not spoil
the tomato, a previtamin vitamin which ultimately made
good on its merits.
Antedating the tomato as a general tonic and rejuvenator,
if not outliving it, was sarsaparilla, which "purifies,
cleanses and strengthens the fountain springs of life and
infuses new vigor throughout the whole animal frame."
Sands' Sarsaparilla, besides purifying the blood, cured
scrofula, rheumatism, stubborn ulcers, dyspepsia, salt
rheum, fever sores, erysipelas, pimples, bile, mercurial
diseases, cutaneous eruptions, liver complaints, bronchitis,
consumption, female complaints, loss of appetite, and
general debility. Dr. Townsend's Sarsaparilla, "The Wonder
and Blessing of the Age, the most extraordinary Medicine
in the World," created new blood and in a five-year period
cured one hundred thousand persons, including fifteen
thousand incurables. By the 1850's sarsaparilla sots were
thrilled by the announcement of the "Important Medical
Discovery the Greatest Remedy in the World for Purifying
the Blood," Dr. Easterly's Iodine and Sarsaparilla, six times
stronger than other brands and only one dollar the bottle.
Easterly's was recommended by the "Medical Faculty and
men of the highest erudition." From the best information
available this remedy had within three 3^ears cured more
than twenty-five thousand severe cases of disease: three
thousand of scrofula; two thousand of dyspepsia and indigestion;
one thousand of gout and chronic inflammatory
rheumatism; two thousand of general debility; twentyfive
hundred of liver complaint, dropsy, and gravel; fifteen
hundred different forms of female complaint; and six
thousand of syphilitic or venereal coughs, pimples, salt
rheum, and headaches—all very conveniently in round
numbers.
By this time a medicine had to be pretty good, to compete
with Merchants' Celebrated Gargling Oil for Man and
Beast, which was deservedly popular in the cure of "Spavins,
Sweeney, Chapped Hands, Cake Breasts, Sore Nipples,