Valerian Wine

[Natty]

Wasn't laudanum something that was widely available and legal to purchase over-the-counter during that time period in American history?

I think so. The actual recipe was quite varied and a typical concentration would include about 10% opium. It was widely prescribed for all kinds of indications, some of which are unheard of in modern times - women used it to retain a "pallid complexion" and it was even spoon fed to infants. Many people, including notables like Charles Dickens were addicted to opium and it wasn't until 1906, when these drugs were required to be labeled with their ingredients that usage went down.