Mary Lincoln's presence at Abraham's death-bed

[L Verge]

Let me try to get this right

Dr. Baker wrote that book so long ago that I suspect she can't remember her sources. She has to be rather elderly now because it has been at least twenty years since she spoke before the Surratt Society, and she was probably about sixty then. Since I am older than that now, I can safely compare ages without disrespect.

Wow, I'm impressed, that would put you over 80. You sure don't look it.

Southern ladies hold their age well, Gene. You should know that from living in Kentucky.

[BettyO]

Edward “Eddie” Lincoln was three and a half when he became sick with an illness that lasted fifty-two days. Both Mary and Lincoln nursed their son with the accepted treatments of the day, including Wistor’s Balsam of Wild-cherry, an opium-based cough suppressant. The inadequate medicine was not enough to save Eddie who died of pulmonary tuberculosis on February 1, 1850.

Here is an 1844 label for the infamous opium cough syrup - touted to "cure" tuberculosis....

   

   

The descriptive image is from a later date (circa 1870s) but it probably still professed the same "cure".... LOVE these old labels -

[LincolnToddFan]

Same here Betty.

I never know whether to laugh, feel sympathy and sadness for the sufferers, or deep gratitude to God that I was born in an age of modern medicine when I read some of those 18th and 19th century medicine labels.

Probably all of the above!

[L Verge]

The other day, some of my friends were discussing things from our childhood (the 50s mainly). What ever happened to medicines like mercurichrome, merthiolate, castoria, gentian violet? I know I probably spelled them all wrong because I was dosed with them before I learned to spell! And, I bet Spellcheck doesn't even know what they are.

I especially remember the last one because I came down with impetigo when I was about three, and my dad was stationed at Miami Beach right after the war. If I remember correctly impetigo was caused by sand mites biting people, and gentian violet eased the sore that developed. I had purple polka-dots on me for weeks!

Then we had chiggers that only responded to Clorox or kerosene (don't light a match around me!), and Clorox or calomine lotion could stop poison ivy itching. Adolph's meat tenderizer worked wonders on bee stings. After I stepped in a yellow jackets' nest when I was eight, I should have the tenderest skin in town to this day. A baking soda paste also helped.

Smith Bros. cough drops or horehound candies were necessary for fighting colds and sore throats. My mother's finest remedy for a bad cold or flu was a swig of brandy followed by a glass of HOT lemonade. It's amazing that I did not become an alcoholic or drug addict!

[LincolnToddFan]

Laurie, I remember mercurochrome(?)!!

As for horehound candy, that one gives me vivid memories, rather embarrassing ones. My grandmother gave it to us for the first time when I was about 4-5 yrs old on a visit.. I went home and told my mother that grandma had given us HORE HOUSE candy, and it was tasty.

You can imagine my mom's reaction.

[HerbS]

Oh Yes-medicine of the 50's!Gaged all the way to recovery!

[BettyO]

mercurichrome, merthiolate, castoria, gentian violet

Oh yes, I remember all those - and I also found something left over from my childhood that my mom used to give us for coughs - Creomulsion! Yes, it used to have creosote in it and yes, it was the same stuff that they used to paint fence posts and wood with..... but it was good tasting and yes, I can still find it at the small local pharmacy here in Mechanicsville, VA....but it no longer has creosote in it; still cures coughs, though!

I, too remember mercurichrome, methiolate, and gentian violet. By the way, they still use gentian violet for horses. One of my college classmates fox hunts and once came to class a few years ago with her hands covered in what looked like purple paint. She had been using it on her horse. We used it on our horse years ago when he had cracked heels (or quarter cracks as it's called) - he was a pinto; primarily a white horse and he had purple heels and lower legs for months after that episode - cured him, though!

[HerbS]

How about-croup pills[spelling?]?

[Eva Elisabeth]

All this reminds me of the craziest multi-purpose pills I have ever been given back in the late 1970s in Sri Lanka, Ceylon back then. I collapsed because I had drunken too little, my father suffered from stomach flu, and a third person broke a rib from being smashed on the shore (beach) when swimming in the rough ocean. A sort of medicine man came, and we all were given the same pink pills he took out of a huge jar.

[Anita]

Oh my goodness! Did you take them? Not a fun vacation.

[Eva Elisabeth]

We tried one to please the "doctor"...but refrained from the rest.

[HerbS]

Dr.'s are not easy to please.But,you can tell them what they want to hear once you are able to figure them out.

[Gene C]

They like to hear this - "I have insurance"

[HerbS]

Oh Yeah they do!

[Donna McCreary]

I still tell people to drink hot lemonade for a cold or the flu. I even drink it as a preventitive for such evil illnesses. A little nutmeg sprinkled on top improves the taste. When drinking lemonade as medicine -- remember it has to be made with real lemon juice. Powdered mixes are not the same thing.