514 Chartres St.
New Orleans, LA 70130
29.956071,-90.064963
Call me morbid, but I have always
been fascinated with antique medical instruments and the near-medieval
practices carried out by eighteenth and nineteenth century doctors.
Fortunately, we all
live in the present day where, despite the outlandish cost
of health care, advancements in the medical field have made the practice a lot
more successful and less painful! If anyone has ever read up on some of these
past poor attempts at curing various ailments, it’s no wonder so many people
often died at such an early age. I truly have sympathy for those who lived
during these times, as the medical instruments used on patients often looked
like torture devices used during the Spanish Inquisition. In addition to the
plethora of jagged, oblong tools that were inserted into every orifice
imaginable, endless variants of special potions and elixirs were made more for
the reason of making a quick dollar than actually causing any relief.
Travelling salesmen from all around
would travel from town to town, in the hopes of peddling the latest magic
cure-all. Sure this sludge may taste like the rear end of a rotten skunk but,
by God, if the salesman said it cured an ailment, you could bet people were
lined up for miles to guzzle it down. I’ve always found great humor in the
labels of these liquids, as they always had a funny name such as “Pappy
O’Flattery’s Cure All” or “Fat Momma’s Love Juice”. Ok, that last one sounded
bad! |
| This will only hurt a bit! |
