General Discussion & Chat: Funny stuff found in archives, 1 by woodspirit1

woodspirit1 wrote:
I am a volunteer chairman of the Transylania County Archives and we are going through a process of reboxing, re-indexing, and sorting. We are on the 2nd floor of a mansion owned by the county which has no heat or cooling so we have to open the doors hours ahead of time, and let the heat from downstairs work its way up. Thank goodness we will move into the new library when it is built in 2-1/2 years.
Sometimes we find things that are not specific to our area and we resell them or send them to some entity that might be a appropriate place for them. Here is a picture of one: it is the Gooch's Encyclopedia and Household Companion which cost 25 cents in 1886, rather expensive I think considering it is really a 32-page ad for Gooch's products. These are clearly "doctor goods," most are phony and work temporarily because of the alcohol content. But I thought they were funny, so I am posting some.
Gooch's claimed that they could cure consumption (tuberculosis), cholera morbus, colic, diarrhea, dysentery, rheumatism, all internal and external pains, summer complaint (?), painter's colic, diptheria, also gives refreshing sleep and aids the digestion and assimilation of food, pains in the breast, hemorrhage, whooping cough, torpid liver, costiveness (?), rheumatism, neuralgia, and croup. It also said it can be given to the youngest child and that it helps preachers and other public speakers. This booklet is sprinkled with recipes and advice but every paragraph ends with an entreaty to buy Gooch's at 50 cents a bottle.

This message was edited Sunday, Dec 1st 11:33 AM