DIRT ROAD WONDER: Do You Remember The Old Medicine Shows?

I was watching Gunsmoke the other night and the program was about a medicine show that came to Dodge City.

I remember those shows fondly.

I thought about all the medicine shows I had seen in Havana as a little girl…thank God they were still around in the 1940s, because I really enjoyed them.

The only place that I remember seeing the medicine shows was in the vacant lot beside the Havana

Theater or as we called it, the picture show, and city hall, which is now the police station.

I think they were already becoming a thing of the past by the 1940s, and they only played in small rural communities.

When a strange looking wagon rolled into town with a man sitting on top blowing a bugle, you knew that the medicine show had come to town.

The wagons were brightly painted with all kinds of promises of their elixir boldly painted on them - this was before medicines had to be cleared through the Food and Drug Administration, and most of those wonder drugs that were advertised were strongly laced with alcohol.

No wonder it made people feel better - it was a little toddy for the body.

Their wagon was not a ‘wagon’ in the true sense of the word, because it had to travel on the highways.

It was like a small trailer and the back would open up to provide a stage for the people to sing and dance and hawk their wares.

Sometimes they would have a magician and that was the hit of the show for us kids.

After the singing and dancing had attracted a crowd the “Old Professor” would tell you all about the wonders of his drug and how many people had been cured by taking just two teaspoons a day.

Mama said they were just old snake oil salesmen, but I don’t remember them selling anything for snake bite.

I still remember two things that the medicine show had for sale. I don’t remember if ivory soap had been invented or if it just hadn’t made it to Havana.

Ivory soap floated and so did the little soaps that the medicine show sold.

I loved floating soap and I convinced Mama to buy some for me.

The other thing that they had for sale was Rolling Cream.

I thought that was the greatest thing a child could have.

If your feet were dirty, you just put on some Rolling Cream, rubbed it in and all the dirt rolled up into little black balls.

I thought it was a great way to get clean, but Mama didn’t go for the idea that this could take the place of baths…I still had to get into that old clawfoot bathtub and bathe every night.

A few years after the medicine shows were forgotten, another patent medicine miracle drug came on the market.

This one could be purchased at your local drug store.

It was called Hadicol and everyone was taking it to add a little pep to their step.

It was finally taken off the market and you would never guess the reason: the alcohol content was too high.

I wonder if those sweet church ladies that drank some everyday knew that it was the equivalent to a good shot of Jim Beam bourbon whiskey.

Lot of people were sad when it was taken off the market.

I miss those old medicine shows.

I guess we were really easy to amuse back then.

‘Till next time keep on the sunny side. Gwynn0720@Comcast.net

DIRT ROAD WONDER: Do You Remember The Old Medicine Shows?

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DIRT ROAD WONDER: Do You Remember The Old Medicine Shows?

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CAT TALES: A view of the world… from a cat’s perspective

Gadsden County ranks 35th when it comes to heavy drinking and unemployment

Gadsden County ranks 35th when it comes to heavy drinking and unemployment

Recommended

Quincy police report retrieving gun, drugs, and cash from traffic stop

Quincy Main Street Twilight Concert Series returns

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Site Links

About Us

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Retrieve your password

Are you sure want to unlock this post?

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