Tuesday, December 08, 2009

BenBow's Patent Medicine for Dogs



Ben Bow's Dog Mixture promised to cure distemper, worms and jaundice.

What was in it?

Who knows!

This kind of stuff disappeared as soon as labeling laws and the Food and Drug Administration showed up, though various con men, bunko artists and "holistic medicine" quacks continue to peddle their modern analogs.

For example, this quackery place will sell you "Distemperinum" for only $52.

Of course, Drs Foster and Smith will sell you a 5-way Canine Spectra single-dose vaccine that you can give to your dog yourself for just $4.20.

This simple vaccine will not only keep distemper at bay, but will also prevent canine hepatitis, adenovirus cough, parainfluenza, and parvovirus.

Hmmmmmm. I wonder which medical regime makes the most sense....

3 comments:

Retrieverman said...

At first I thought that I couldn't believe people are selling crap like this.

But yes, I can. How many infomercials has Kevin Trudeau produced? His whole marketing system is a kind of demagoguery based upon some interesting conspiracy theories.

And people still buy this stuff:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZlRSrtfcWw

Gina said...

I like the soap mentioned -- "non-mecurial." Good to know!

Unknown said...

I have just dug up an old empty bottle with Benbow's Dog Mixture cast into the glass. The bottle is small and octagonal made of thick glass. Do you think this is worth putting on Ebay??