ABSTRACT
At the turn of the last century, encounters with the average country doctor were a risky business. More often than not, patients came off worse for the experience. Patent medicines were popular, because they were cheaper than doctor visits, and they were likely to produce about as much good. At a minimum, most patent medicines contained a generous dose of alcohol, often supplemented with cocaine or morphine. No wonder then that these products made patients feel better, even if only for a short time, and even if the price of the cure meant being exposed to an addictive or toxic drug. Alcohol supplementation eventually caused a range of problems for patent medicine makers, especially in the States, because the prohibitionists were opposed to alcohol in any form, medicinal or not.
