Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Dr. McGill's Orange Blossom Cure

Here is a brochure for a patent medicine cure typical of the 19th century snake oil industry: The Famous Specific Orange Blossom, a Positive Cure for All Female Diseases. Getting down to specific claims, there's this: A safe and sure remedy for ovarian tumors in their early stages. Wow! J.A. McGill, M.D. was the quack behind this junk.

The copy below is in my collection, but I found a digital copy in the Duke University Libraries collection: Emergence of Advertising in America, 1850-1920. Click the links and poke around a little. It's a pretty nice collection of ephemera.