Frontier Doctors and Snake Oil Peddlers: A Journal of Early Medical Procedures

Pity the poor family whose bottle of Mrs. Winslow's Soothing Syrup patent medicine went dry. It was the standard treatment for frontier families whose babies were fussing or cutting teeth. It didn't just put the babies to sleep, Mrs. Winslow's syrup carried a whopping dose of morphine.

Early doctors on the frontier were still practicing the ancient medicine of "bloodletting, purging and blistering". These accepted cures were often worse than the disease and seldom cured anything. If a patient got better it was because of the patient's stamina, not harsh treatments.

Do you have tired blood? Well, let's take care of that right now. We'll just drop a half-dozen ten-penny nails into a bottle of strong vinegar. After the nails have dissolved we'll give you a teaspoon of this tonic each night before bedtime.

The author also documents the good improvements in medical practices that have occurred through the years.