A Rival?

[Steven Russell]

Check out this bloke from the Gazetteer of Berkshire County, Mass., 1885. I wonder what he and Dr.T. thought of one another. Sorry about the low resolution.

Best wishes,
Steve.

[lynn cates]

snake oil

Hello Steven. Nice find. I wonder whether "snake oil" salesmen were rather common in the colonies at that time?

Seems lucrative enough.

Cheers.
LC

[Steven Russell]

Thanks, Lynn. Yes, they do seem to have been extremely popular, as was the Indian angle. How Brown has posted a newspaper from 1860 on the other site and it's full of 'em (quacks that is).

Best wishes,
Steve.

[mklhawley]

Greetings all,

It all started around 1820, when allopathic medicine attempted to gain a foothold against herbalism, claiming to be the only method based upon empircal science. Homeopathic medicine kicked in in the early to mid-nineteenth century.

The cholera epidemics of 1832, 1849, and 1854 caused a 'crisis of confidence in allopathic medicine'. At this time, they were still using bloodletting and ingestion of mercury. Herbalism and homeopathic medicine became very popular, especially when their results against cholera seemed to be better than allopathic medicine.

Tumblety was at the right place at the right time. It seems one reason why Tumblety first went to Canada is because he copied word-for-word the marketing/advertising strategy of his indian herb doctor mentor RJ Lyons out of Baltimore (1853) and he was still in operation in the US.

Sincerely,
Mike