A Deep Dive into the Deadly World of Victorian Patent Medicine
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 เม.ย. 2023
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In the Victorian era, a deadly and unorganized medical system bred an even more deadly and unregulated world of patent medicines filled with high proof alcohol, dangerous narcotics, and more. So why were these medicines so popular, and why did they run wild? Come learn with me!
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Sources
The Influence of Victorian ‘Patent Medicines’ on the Development of Early 20th Century Medical Practice by F. Charles Tring
The Patent Medicines Industry in Georgian England: Constructing the Market by the Potency of Print by Alan Mackintosh
The Pharmacology of Nineteenth-Century Patent Medicines by J. Worth Estes
Nervous Women and Noble Savages: The Romanticized “Other” in Nineteenth-Century US Patent Medicine Advertising by JANE MARCELLUS
The Commodity Culture of Victorian England: Advertising and Spectacle, 1851-1914 by Thomas Richards
The Mighty Healer: Thomas Holloway's Victorian Patent Medicine Empire by Verity Holloway
British Patent Medicines: “Injurious Rubbish”? By Lori Loeb
From Cure-alls to Calcium Tablets: A Comparative Semiotic Analysis of Advertisements for 19th and 20th Century Patent Medicines and Contemporary Dietary Supplements by Karin A. Albrecht
National Museum of American History- Balm of America: Patent Medicine Collection americanhistory.si.edu/collec...
Digital Public Library of America- Quack Cures and Self-Remedies: Patent Medicine dp.la/exhibitions/patent-medi...
Patent medicines and the public's health. By J Parascandola
Snake Oil Salesmen Were on to Something by Cynthia Graber for Scientific American www.scientificamerican.com/ar...
Bitter medicine: gout and the birth of the cocktail by Richard Barnett for The Lancet www.thelancet.com/journals/la...
Secret remedies : what they cost and what they contain by British Medical Association
Annals Of Weight-Loss Gimmicks: From Bile Beans To Obesity Soap by Scott Hensley for NPR www.npr.org/sections/health-s...
Snake Oil, Hustlers and Hambones: The American Medicine Show By Ann Anderson
The Butchering Art by Lindsey Fitzharris
![[TH] VCT Pacific Stage 2 - Week 1 Day 1 // DRX vs ZETA | BLD vs TS](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/AWaOqaxN6Y0/mqdefault.jpg)
I love how Victorian medicine is the equivalent of a kid making a potion in their bathroom sink with random bathroom products. Except instead of toothpaste and body wash its heroin and alcohol 😂
I used to do that all of the time..in one of those 80s Dixie cups. My parents were never happy about my concoctions which they found hidden behind the bathroom trash can or in a closet. 😂
We used to do this with different drinks (non alcoholic, at first) from around the house, here's a tip: milk ruins everything
This is perfect lol! X3
@@faeriesmak yesss and the tiny cups w the fish on them
And generous amounts of cocaine!
Remember, if you wouldn’t fall for a scam, it’s because you are not their target. Too many cruel and privileged people scoff at victims of scams for being “dumb”, when in reality they are desperate. And preying on the desperate is evil.
Absolutely, very well said!
yup, its actually very interesting. you know those totally real 'nigerian prince' emails? theyre actually spelled badly, and usually use the incredibly scammy and well known 'nigerian prince' tagline so people can self-select. those who will fall for a well written and not as obvious scam email are likely higher than those who will fall for the more obvious, however, when it comes time to actually send the money, those who would not fall for the nigerian prince email will also not likely fall for a well written one in the end, thus wasting the time of the scammer.
If you live by yourself, it might be upto you to decide on giving your money to a hospital or to a secret potion. But if you have a family to feed, burden falls on you to not pour down all your income in vain. Lots of mariages end because the husband invests all the money of the house in a fraud. If you are responsible of a spouse and children, you must be put accountable of how you spent your money. Also “What else am I supposed to do?” is not an excuse. Sometimes doing nothing is better than rushing to do “something” because of “What else am I supposed to do?” mentality.
@@ismailtaskran9740Hope you get scammed when you become old and vulnerable 😊
You can in fact be a desperate moron
Sad that this view on women hasn’t changed much in the medical world.
Women’s pain and concerns are often brushed off at “anxiety” or “menstrual pains.”
Sooooo many times I’ve had male doctors tell me I’m fine and it’s in my head just to find out later something actually was wrong.
yeah... just have less stress and go on walks outside, easy peasy 😵
Or the time I was hospitalized for severe medical malnutrition and had multiple doctors completely ignore me and my lengthy medical history in favor of trying to diagnose me with... another, more psychological type of condition.
It's sad, just how many things they'll try to completely dismiss or talk over us about.
@@pastelshadows6437My lungs failed. By that I mean that the gas exchange process stopped. I was bedridden for six months until it finally eased (though it never fully went away).
The closest thing I got to a diagnosis was, "Anxiety."
Much the same happened when my gallbladder failed.
The more things change the more they stayed the same
Yeah I've even had female doctors like this 😭
I have a chronic illness and the doctors haven’t helped much at all, so my parents signed up for an MLM claiming to essentially be a “cure all”. They want me to sell it and are upset that I refuse to. Patent medicines are def still a thing, just with a new name. 😢 be safe out there folks❤
Mlms suck, although as a person with a chronic condition too, some supplements are useful if you use them right, I wish that the natural remedy community and doctors who work with lab designed medications could works together instead of fighting
@@saphire1sababy378I also have a chronic condition, and I actually see a holistic dr who works with both herbal remedies and typical medicine. Both together make my condition much more manageable but it’s unreasonable how hard it is to find good drs like mine. But it’s possible to find!
They're now being heavily marketed by evangelists or right wing media hosts
@saphire1sababy378 to offer a quick correction. A lot of natural ingredients are often used in doctor made medicine. And shouldn't be confused with "natural medicine" meaning pseudoscience and people making shit up to sell placebos.
Modern medicine evolved from natural remedies and should always be considered first and foremost.
it s slightly off your opic,i m just so personally invested in the subject, sorry😂,but might want to look into ayurveda as well as dr gabor matés books, usually chronic illnesses are based in metabolism changing trauma, and ayurveda is a nice way to work with the state mind and body are in therefore and balancing that out with food, herbs, breathing and physical exercises. it s no cure but i experienced good results in relief from pain and ailments, in myself and others. i wish you the very best!
I'm an archaeologist in Illinois. A few years back we found a patent medicine bottle on a late 19th century site that still had some left in it. We had it chemically analyzed. The results were... interesting. Lots of alcohol, cannabis, a bit of opium, and laudanum.
Lol of course you don't feel sick when you're drunk & high
You might not get better from the ailment plaguing you, but I guarantee you'll quit worrying about it after taking our "cure"!
@@sofdemi8042 Exactly
Sounds like a great time
Glad you were able to investigate the contents. Where was it discovered? - In a wall, under floorboards, or buried in a backyard? Was it discovered during a renovation or turned with the *soil of a farm field? ( Just curious, but understood if you are not at liberty to say.)
"Female weakness" is one of the most 19th century terms I've read in quite a while.
With people like Andrew Tate, it seems to be making a comeback...
@Jason Neal I don't think that it ever really "dissappeared"
im a female and the term makes me giggle for some reason. its so dramatic
You guys know you're nuts right?
@@livingood1049 you know 99% of men are insecure and take it out on women because they blame them? yeah, they aren't nuts. that's just misogynistic rhetoric and i advise you educate yourself before you sound stupid again
I work in a nursing home; a lot of our ladies are 100, 101, and were born in the 1920's era. The amount of information dawning on me right now is fabulous and insane. To think that their parents and grandparents going through the majority of all the craziness-
My dad did some genealogical research in the 90s including interviewing many older relatives, not sure the oldest but he's talked about family members born as early as the 1890s and one peculiarity that I'll always remember is our oldest relatives believed that having a bathroom and a kitchen inside the house was unsanitary. I don't know if they meant having both in the same building but the way he talked about it, it sounded like they thought both of them were gross separately. Pretty wild how much has changed in the past century.
@@amoureux6502it's prolly because in 1890s outhouses were common than bathrooms. I'm from India and still in some parts of modern day india bathroom in home isn't actually ideal. Outhouses just adjacent to houses(especially those used by guests)are more preferable. Though, this culture has, for most parts, been slowly disappearing.
1920s too. that was the era of putting Radium into everything.
What used to be called patent medicines are now marketed as “herbal supplements.” Through a loophole in FDA regulations, “dietary supplements” are not regulated as drugs, even though medicinal claims are typically made for them.
There's even a (very strange to navigate) gray area, where doctors recommend certain supplements in VERY specific cases. It's led to some awkward moments visiting my pharmacy (inside a grocery store), and being told what I was recommended is in the section with all the "random detox pills" 🫢
@@hanthonyc They meant “over there in the placebo section.”
Idk. Many of them do work.
Look at milk thistle.
They really need to close the “nutritional supplements” loophole.
@@AlexanderBlues1228 I couldn’t agree more.
I really appreciated you setting the stage in the beginning by telling us about the state of "legitimate" medicine at the time. I knew it was awful back then but I never directly connected it to the proliferation of quack medicine and patent medicine. Makes total sense why an average person would try snake oil, but I never thought about it before!
Or why they would try modern snake oils now!!! Doctors refusing to wear proper respirators in 2023 😩 And the essential oil hunbots crawling everywhere
@@kagitsune Also, in the U.S., especially in red states which refuse to accept Federal money for Medicaid (because *those people* don't deserve it... ahem...) quackery can consume a lot of the oxygen not being given to real medical advice.
@@kagitsune Exactly! A lack of access to advanced health care has people out here downing bleach and ivermectin (not for worms). The only thing that was better about the patent medicines was that alcohol and opium might make you feel a bit better.
@@iriandia If I had to choose between downing laudanum and downing bleach...
I did find that maybe the most interesting part. I don't feel like I have the time to sit down and learn debunked scientific theories, but when I happen to learn about them like this, it's maybe the most comprehensively designed fictional universe that exists and it's very cool.
Fun fact: my great-grandmother Lydia Pinkham Grant was related to Lydia Pinkham, the patent medicine entrepreneur and one of the first fabulously wealthy women in American history. Unfortunately, the relation was not close enough for any of that patent medicine money to come down to my family. Nonetheless, I remain eternally grateful for the piece of Portland glass that Lydia Pinkham Grant owned and came to me as a wedding present.
Oh wow, that's so cool!
:O Cool!
Also, what is Portland Glass? I tried to look it up, but all it's showing me is class installation companies 😅
@@caffienatedtactician I'm not sure whether there's another name, but that's my aunt's vernacular. It's rather plain but attractive utilitarian glassware made in the Portland, Maine area in the mid-nineteenth century. This piece is a deep glass about 5 1/2 inches high on a very squat stem with 8 repeating vertical grape leaf motifs.
I’ve been to the lydia pinkham building
I am a descendent of Lydia Pinkham as well!
It’s so rough hearing all this horrible misogyny around “female trouble” but at the same time I am in the process of getting a hysterectomy because my periods are so bad that I will indeed fall to the ground insensate, half conscious, with a scream of agony when it’s that time of the month 😂
Oof, I feel this. Are you still waiting for surgery? The hardest part is the first week post-op. Pooping will be scary. Around week five, you may eject something that looks like vermicelli. Don't worry, it's not actually pasta.
Female Trouble would make a great band name
Sounds like female weakness.
I prescribe testosterone.
I feel ya there, good luck with the surgery 🤞🏼
oof, i feel you. good luck with the surgery, wishing you a safe recovery!
One of my favorite media depictions of patent medicine is in RDR: Undead Nightmare, when you meet this snakeoil salesman (who's also in the main game) who's selling what he calls a "zombie repellent" miracle elixer. It actually attracts zombies instead.
😂😂
I just realized the commonality between someone shouting from the back of a crowd like “yes I used that it works!” And everyone believing them to an influencer posting a video going “yes I used it it works!” To everyone and them believing it lmao
🎯🎯🎯🎯
When I was a kid my grandma fell for the order on TV herbal remedies scams. She ended up very sick from taking what amounted to vitamins and herbs and ended up in immune system failure. Luckily she was able to be treated at University of Michigan Hospital and lived, but her chances were very low.
When Kaz says “although natural, not innocuous” it’s so very true.
My grandmother told me a story about how her father passed away from a "wooden" tooth implant that replaced one of his front teeth. This was in the midwest in the late 20's. That story never made much sense to me. But with this context, that story is absolutely understandable. He probably fell victim to a quack dentist.
As a young person who has implants.....and also had 2 that became infected, crunched thru my jawbone and failed....
Wood 🪵? That gives me secondhand cross generational anxiety😂.😮😢 It's like a bacteria sponge. He probably died of sepsis....and also that would hurt like a B.
@@eacorpe88 sorry to hear it. I'm gonna need a few one day myself. Supposedly my great grandfather died when the infection spread to his brain. That's what my grandmother said, anyway.
That set decoration is unbelievable. The effort you put in to these is incredible and just keeps getting better
These medicine shows didn't end, their form has just evolved. Where we once had a traveling circus type of setup, we now have The Dr's and Dr Oz, syndicated across the country.
Don’t forget the DoTerra and “wellness”/new age conventions! 🙃 Or influencers selling hair gummies
@@kagitsune Don't forget weight loss teas or every time you hear the word "detox".
We meet again
Except nowadays it's mostly safe & effective stuff just overpriced w/ gimmick formulas
@Ball Except not. These shows are pushing fad diets and skinny teas aka laxatives. They know it's unsafe and doesn't work.
The ending bit of this still existing today hits hard for me tbh. My maternal grandma desperately needs knee surgery, it’s something everyone has noticed: her ex-husband, her current husband, my paternal grandma, cousins, etc
But she’s so distrustful of the medical system that she refuses to seek any medical help, only seeking “natural remedies” As a disabled person myself, it’s hard for me to blame her, the medical system is messed up. But she desperately needs it and all of us have been trying to support and convince her to take that step
It’s such a complicated and messy issue and makes me all the more angry that it still happens, especially when you see someone you really care about get stuck in the rabbit hole. So the compassion side of this and how it’s still prevalent today is something I appreciate and was very glad you brought up
The more you try to push, the most she’ll double down because, if you are trying to take her autonomy, she’ll keep the power she has by exercising her power to say NO. Back off, respect that she doesn’t want to right now, and when you aren’t harassing her to do what she has apparently said MANY times that she doesn’t want to do with her own body, then she’ll be more likely to decide to do it. You can’t force her, and continuing to try to force her is only going to result in doing more of what you know isn’t working, and could actively be getting her to push back more.
@@Author.Noelle.Alexandria I understand where you’re coming from but I think you misunderstood. No one is forcing her to go kicking and screaming to surgery. Like I said, we are all supportive of her and doing our best to slowly get her more comfortable with the idea.
When I said she’s deep in the rabbit hole, I mean she is fully getting into MLMs and scams to try and fix this. It’s less about trying to force her to do something and more trying to help her out of that because not only is it putting her health at risk, it’s actively hurting her financially
Sometimes supporting people means you need to be there to tell someone when what they’re doing is self destructive
Also never once in my comment did I ever say this is something we bring up constantly with her or she has pushed back on us many times, and CERTAINLY never harassed her on.
It’s been a few years now, and no one has brought this up with her until recently when it’s gotten much worse to the point she can’t walk without help (and she refused to use a cane until recently). We thought she would on her own, but then she got into scams to fix it instead. And has slowly been becoming more open to idea because we have been helping her through this,,, not harassing her lol
This issue is, as I said, complicated and you really shouldn’t butt into situations you don’t fully understand the nuance and context of.
I fully get this, it’s the same for my nana and her mental health, as well as just issues she’s having as a result of getting older. I understand very sincerely why she doesn’t trust doctors to help her, and a lot of time they don’t and won’t. but I just wish she wouldn’t buy into these MLMs and scams that only seek to exploit her. It’s an upsetting situation to be in, but I hope that someday it can get better, and we can push for change so this doesn't keep happening. Maybe it’s wishful thinking, but I hope it isn’t.
For the future’s sake
God, my mom is in the same situation with Crohn's. She's terrified of modern medicine. Her and I have both dealt with our fair share of terrible doctors so it's hard to tell her "trust the doctors" when I know that a lot of doctors are arrogant asshats who don't care at all about their patients.
Your maternal grandmother sounds like my paternal grandmother. She's been having issues with her hips and legs for YEARS and can barely walk without supporting herself against something, and only recently started using a cane (though she honestly needs a walker). She's unfortunately not only stubborn as heck but also easily becomes a victim for quack :/
It frustrates me so much, but also makes me sad. Her distrust and reluctance to get medical help makes no sense either, since she's very adamant that her husband (my paternal grandfather) gets the help he needs, regardless if it is operations or medicines.
Sigh. I guess I should be happy that she at least uses a cane now, and that we thankfully convinced her to take the COVID vaccine when it was due.
I avoided going to the dentist to try a "remineralizing" tooth treatment in college. I thought it worked at first because my tooth pain went away, but it turned out the nerve just died because I didn't seek care for it earlier on.
THANK YOU SO MUCH for acknowledging that medical professionals dismissing genuine concerns can lead to patients seeking alternatives. It's something I thought of too but doesn't seem discussed much. Great video!
Another great and informative look into the past!
Also, "Dr K Rowe's Magic And Not Poisonous Healing Oil" would be great as a water bottle!
My thoughts exactly, this needs to be Merch
Or stickers, if that's simpler than a water bottle.
I'd buy stickers of that
Me too, awesome idea!
Can it have the subtitle "cures male hysteria"? 😂
I love how Kaz just has a mock Victorian apothecary with legit branding in their home.
As a chronically ill person, I deeply appreciate your compassionate ending. 🖤 amazing as always
Kaz-
I think you would deeply enjoy looking into the history of cocktails, something you touched on breifly in this video. It’s an insane rabbit hole that combines Victorian medicine and New Orleanian counter culture of the time, as that was where they began. It’s super fascinating because they were considered medicine, it’s like imagining what if in an alternate universe it was normalized to order codiene or benedryl with your dinner, but instead it was cocktails that caught on. It’s super interesting stuff. During prohibition, restaurants would pose as part time pharmacies to continue creating them.
Soo... Basically Lean? The purple drank? 😂
I like how you stressed that people of the past were not less intelligent than we are now for trying or believing these things. I think it's especially easy for someone today that struggles with a chronic condition and has seen so many doctors that can't fix it, to understand what people were going through back then. Even with today's technology its exhausting doing all the research and verifying the claims of different products when you have to go through so many.
Yes, and to add to this... doctors are often either so complacent they don't care, or are too afraid to do anything that's out of the status quo.
I had a life threatening event happen a few years back, and my surgeon saved my life! However any difficulty I have since then, they (every specialist) ALL want me to go back and see this surgeon.
The man is busy ok?? 🤣🤣 he can't treat my every ailment! He did his job, now I beg of these other doctors to PLEASE do theirs!! Rather than look at me like 🤡 have you tried Gabapentin 🤡
Yes, literally 2 decades ago. Can we please move onnnnn???? 😆😆
Gosh, it's truly a mess for the chronically I'll right now. But as we see in this... there are ebbs and flows with progress. I hope we have just been in a SERIOUS ebb the last few years, and we are about to get some nice flow because I CANT TAKE ANYMORE EBB!! 🤣🤣
@@cv6442as someone with several chronic illnesses, I wholeheartedly agree. I cannot stand the western medical establishment right now.
@@cv6442But have you tried gabapentin???
(For real, that medication fucked me up.)
As someone with a genuine phobia of medical professionals and medical procedures I can totally relate to the poor victorians who would choose herbal over hospital. Me too,.every single time sadly
No judgement, but can you explain what having that phobia feels like? It’s interesting to me, and I’m genuinely curious in what ways they are scary. Like is it the tools they use to perform procedures that may appear intimidating , is it the fear of them making terrible mistakes when treating you?because of past trauma?or is it something like just the fact they are a doctor scares you. thanks I’m advance.
Can only speak for myself but long term, consistent, numerous negative experiences with drs and a variety of medical professionals. Also squeamishness.
@@dewmongo2881The fact that doctors traumatize child patients so they can spend millions on therapy and medications, it's pretty simple
Same here! All I heard from my elders while growing up was that anyone who goes to the hospital ends up dying there…. I know it’s false… but still… it’s so ingrained in me that the fear will always be in the back of my mind.
Its funny because I actually am truly in awe at how much medical science has advanced and I put a lot of faith in modern medicine. I think herbal and eastern medicine is generally horseshit and would never choose it instead. But I HATE going to Hospitals and I hate Doctors. Really and truly not exaggerating here. It doesnt help the majority ive met are dickwads with their demeanor and the way they look down at patients. When I was a teenager I was flagged at a physical for having abnormally high blood pressure and got put through a battery of tests including EKGs and long-term studies. I tried to communicate that I was fine its just my anxiety around medical professionals. Ya a while later they determined I was perfectly healthy but had 'White Coat syndrome' (their words). My policy in life is to do whatever I can to stay as healthy as possible to stay away from hospitals, but also would never allow my personal biases cloud my judgment if I did become ill or injured needing treatment.
That last bit hit me hard. I'm disabled in a whole bunch of ways (Joints, neurological system issues, mental health issues, etc), and I've been trying to fight for an epilepsy diagnosis for the past two months. The MRI was likely the wrong type to pick up epilepsy. The EEG might have been read as normal or subclinical due to the bias of my neurologist refusing to say that my seizures are more than migraines. I get focal seizures daily and I've had ones similar to GTC ones a few times and it is terrifying, along with developing a fear of SUDEP and being gaslit by my neurologist office with them saying I cannot have epilepsy due to not completely losing consciousness with every seizure. It only really started developing a few months ago and I've already been saddled with the "We don't fucking know, just have this diagnosis so you shut up" disorder for neurology (Conversion disorder). All of my experiences point to epilepsy or something extremely similar going on, along with all the time I've talked to epileptics about it.
I'm so ready to give up on a diagnosis but it could potentially kill me. So I was thinking about alternative cures for a while.
But, a little encouragement might just help me keep fighting for care I need.
Hey!! idk if youll see this bc its 2 months later, but do some research into Tuberous Sclerosis Complex!
Its the condition I have, and your experience really matches what I deal with. I am diagnosed with chronic fatigue, anxiety, depression, epilepsy, chronic kidney disease, adhd, and i experience joint pain and splitting headaches- and all of it is because of Tuberous Sclerosis.
You think you know more than a neurologist…. And you talk about a specific diagnosis like it is a goal…. Ya, red flags everywhere
i really liked this video!! as a disabled person with disabled friends, there are also a ton of able-bodied loved ones around us who become the victims of these quacks in attempts to cure us-- even if we already have life-sustaining medication perscribed to us. one of the things i really loved about "The Owl House" was how it addressed the topic, but also didn't at all villainize or fully victimize Eda and Lilith's mother who had been similarly conned (the "didn't fully victimize" is an important wording since their mother took away the girls' medicine (without telling them or asking for consent!) that helped mitigate the symptoms of their magic-chronic-illness. BUT the episode also didn't make her the villain since she too had been conned into thinking this act had been the right thing to do, and instead had the quack of a con-man be the episode's real villain), since disabled people's problems are often over-looked and the media usually brands us as tragic "I'd be better off dead" characters (im still so glad to this day a friend warned me about "Be Before You" ending in the disabled romantic-lead comitting suicide as part of the plot) or as inspiration porn but only as inspiration for able-bodied people specifically. The Owl House was really refreshing in that sense! (i would like to shout out that the youtuber Oakwyrm has some great analysis of that episode and others' about using allegory for disability representation, the goods, bads, and Joanne Rowling *ugly shudder*)
what you talked about here is a problem that's been rampant on tiktok (such as the infamous pink sauce, I think MatPat made an episode about it on his food theory channel) in addition to pre-existing with disabled people. it was really wise of you to bring up the parallels in history repeating itself from then and now! im extremely impressed and definitely going to leave a Like. thank you so much for such a well-polished and eloquent essay ♡
Oakwyrm Mentioned!! i love their video essays, and yes, 100% agree
"It does cure male hysteria, though."
TAKE MY MONEY, KAZ.
(This essay has so many great merch ideas and I'm HERE FOR IT.)
"Gets rid of y chromosome!"
I actually have an old bottle in my house of one of these "medicines". It's been passed from generation to generation.
*You can't cough if you're unconscious*
I really appreciate how much empathy you have/foster for people of the past. It’s very human to look back and want to feel superior to those who came before.
Older UK people like myself will remember a comedy song called “Lily the Pink” about an amazing ‘medicinal compound’ which reached number 1 in the UK charts in 1968. It’s based on an older folk song about Lydia Pinkham’s patent medicine, something I only realised when watching this video, wondering about any connection and then googling.
Lol I am a fairly young Canadian, but I was just wondering if this had any connection to that song xD
My brass band has played lily the pink several times! When I heard lydia pinkman I went oh no way. No idea it was about a real person!
Slight irony of Lydia Pinkham's is that it actually worked if you were dealing with certain actual medical issues. The main ingredient (other than alcohol) helps the body balance and hold on to estrogen. But no help for hysteria, wandering wombs, or misogyny.
I loved this video! I really appreciate the empathy with which you discussed modern day quackery and those that fall prey to it. I’ve been chronically ill since I was thirteen, with a collection of symptoms that my doctors still don’t know what to do with… and when traditional medicine fails you, as it does so many, it is SO easy to fall victim to predatory health “professionals”. There are treatments I’ve tried that I was (and still am) embarrassed to admit to because it seems so obvious-but I was in a situation where I felt I had no other options, and I had a lot of “couldn’t hurt to try” moments. Well… trying those things left me with diagnosed PTSD, a LOT less money, and at the time made me sicker. I’m sure a lot of people taking this stuff in the Victorian era (and still today) had similar situations, and it’s not a case of being stupid-it’s being desperate and being lied to. You handled it well, and I’m happy to see the comments section is quite kind as well :)
I completely enjoyed this. I have family members susceptible to these kinds of quack things but I only say something if I think it’s going to cause real damage. My step mom had cancer and would use these things strapped to her feet that would supposedly draw out the toxins from chemotherapy and honest and since she wasn’t ingesting anything I wasn’t going to point out that they were turning brown because they were tea bags, not because they could draw toxins out of your feet. My sister got acupuncture because she had trouble conceiving and since she had the money and I don’t think it does any harm I didn’t point out that you can’t manipulate your energies enough to fix an inverted uterus or her husbands exposure to toxic chemicals that reduced fertility rates in everyone that was exposed to the same chemicals. When my mom tried to do a detox tea diet, though, I pointed out that starving yourself and giving yourself diarrhea is probably not the best way to go about losing weight. It’s effective, but not healthy. All of them felt kind of desperate and I think it impacted their objectivity.
as a german person who always wears a big black coat, usually has a book with them & owns several (ethically obtained dw) animal skulls, i do kinda vibe with this doctor character
you sound like a fascinating person (i mean this in the most positive way possible!)
As someone who is chronically ill, I see so many of these "old" attitudes still in place today. I have considered alternative medicine quite a bit as the medical system has failed me numerous times and I have had multiple experiences of medical gaslighting. Would you ever consider doing a video on the history of hysteria or medical gaslighting? There are doctors still out here calling their patients hysterics and hysteria has been "repackaged" into new disorders like functional neurological disorder. It would be an interesting topic, for sure, and one that the general public is not entirely aware of as well. Thanks for all your hard work, your videos are always so fascinating!
Yes big agree!!!
Right?
Dr: Well I can't figure out what's wrong and all the money you have spent has come to nothing because nothing is on my tests that I can see. Have you considered you're just a lying liar who lies?
Us: 😢 No! I need help please...
Dr: Idk go to this specialist you won't see for months and that you can't afford anyway
@@WolfieDawn Yep! Or they pull you the psychosomatic card and doom you to years of ineffective therapy while your physical health continues to deteriorate.
@@WolfieDawnthe medical industry is such a massive scam, they expect us to spend thousands for no return
Doctors still ignore fat people being sick because "the problem is you're fat, lose weight" 🙄 and then they die of cancer
As a German doctor, I can confirm that we all walk around in a black coat holding a skull and Latin books. And of course we all have a mustache
Every time I see Kaz’s videos they just bring me joy, I love the way they comment on all the issues of history in an entertaining and educational way
I'm currently rereading Deborah Blum's fantastic book about the development of forensic medicine in NYC in the 1920s, "The Poisoner's Handbook." So much of it is about the responses to turn of the century patent medicines, not to mention poisonous Prohibition "alcohol." Very much recommended!
Great book! One of my favorite reads
Oooh, thank you for sending us all this recommendation!
i LOVED this book when i read it for a class last year. highly recommend giving it a read -- super interesting information presented in witty storytelling format that does not diminish the impact of said information!
I just finished that last week. I'm not reading one on the radium girls
The BBC has an outstanding Victorian Pharmacy series. If you haven’t already watched it, you might like it. It’s here on TH-cam. Great video. I really appreciate how you stress that the onus of blame should be on the quacks who peddled this stuff, and urged your viewers to think kindly on people of the past.
I always love how you go into why things happened through history, not just what happened. You do amazing work humanizing the past!
Been a silent fan for over a year but just had to comment to say how incredible the quality of your content is 😭👏✨ each one takes us on a theatrical, artistic, historical journey! Stunning production as always!
okay this is actually so specifically helpful and informative for me, thank you?? I have been going to an 1890's frontier-inspired horror LARP since last November. I play an herbalist healer of sorts who brews moonshine and sells snake oil products, hah. I like the role-play aspect of not being a "legitimate" doctor and the skills are fun. my primary healing ability is to 'rub some dirt innit' to restore hit points. I'm thinking to possibly take the character in a more shady direction with her snake oil abilities so this video (especially the intro hehe) provides huge inspiration. well done :)
Very cool!
I hope if someone ever asks you (while LARPing) if the snakeoil works, you leave a theatrical pause before you answer "sure!"
Doctors still use a patient’s pain in order to take advantage of the opportunity to have peers gather around and “observe” the going’s on. My labour and delivery of my daughter was attended by not one but six physicians. I was in too much pain to object their presence.
Women's pain, especially people of color, are often far more disregarded than males even males of color - isn't that awful?
Sadly, not a lot has actually changed about the medical profession. Medical error and drug side effects are still the third cause of death in the US.
@@WolfieDawn this is absolutely true and unfortunate.
@@sarareimold3151 this is also true.
@Sss I guess our pets can be overwhelmed by too many people when they are not feeling well.
Dr. K Rowe! The set, the fit, your new highlights! Thank you for always putting out such wonderful content. I love watching you thrive!
I’ve been really looking forward to this video!!!! Thanks for all your hard work!!
Just passed out in the bathroom, made it to bed and have something to watch while waiting for the dizziness to leave me alone. You're my savior, Kaz!😍
Dr. K Rowe’s Magic and Not Poisonous Healing Oil will fix you!!
@@KazRowe most certainly!😂❤
@@KazRowe 😂
Are you okay?? Do you get feint a lot?? Take care of yourself, please, you deserve to be as healthy as you can be and happy.❤
@@WolfieDawn Yeah i'm fine now, thank you. I do faint often, usually when i'm in pain but idk what triggered it this time. Maybe i didn't drink enough, idk. Thank you so much for your well wishes! Have a nice day! :)
While it's funny to think that the uterus moves around in the body, I can understand why it might have been believed that it could; uterine prolapse is entirely possible for people who've given birth (especially multiple times), and if it's possible for it to "fall out", you could (unscientifically, but somewhat intuitively) imagine that it could move to other places.
I'm curious if there was ever such thinking about the testes, given that testicular hernias are entirely possible.
Male hysteria was the cause of World War I.
I’m sorry, my uterus can FALL OUT?
I didn't have prolapse but my uterus became very "tilted" after my son. Also the lining started to take over the muscular layers and I had opposite day periods (-IE 4wk bleeding, one off). It took 2 years for both answers to actually be discovered. Could've been 1 ultrasound ..but nope. Gave me birth control and that made it worse....so just gaslight me for a bit first.😮
I already have a autoimmune issue necessitating a couple blood transfusions a year. So I ended up needing more of those during that time.
Even now...
We don't believe in free floating, wandering, wombs. However, we still hold on to the "you are being histrionic and just need these hormone pills. . . Bye bye)
This is far better than the video I was looking for. Well done!
I find videos like this so incredibly interesting, especially the fact that things like that still happen with pyramid schemes and whatnot! I loved the style of the video and how you laid it out, Subscribed and excited to binge loads of your videos haha
yay kaz you literally saved my crappy day from getting worse 👼👼
real.
Exact same thought. Stressful day. Hope yours gets better, Vincent.
were you about to buy some victorian medicine? :)
Me too. Hang in there! We got this!!!
Same here, accompanied by weekly takeout from my neighborhood Chinese restaurant. Both will cure what ails you.
I'd argue people turning to questionable treatments out of desperation for something accessible in the off chance it will work is a continuing problem, at least in the states. *stares daggers at the healthcare system*
really good video!! i really appreciate the empathy that you approached this subject with. victorian medicine is so wild
I love your wonderful story/description on such an intriguing topic, and your pageantry.
Your costumes and sets are always on point and this is no exception! You pull of the old fashion styles amazingly well!
Love the video and I'm always excited when you drop another one!
One of those actually works insanely well though, even if it is a bit moreish.
Cocaine for tooth pain is so efficient it's still some times used, though other methods are more common. It's a very good local anesthetic
I had surgery last fall, and due to a morphine allergy, they actually ended up giving me a certain alternative which begins with 'fent' and ends with two more syllables (I'm not sure if it will get flagged); given how much is in the news about substances being tainted with that, I'll admit I did not realize it still had a legitimate medical use
@@bellablue5285 a lot of people don't realize that if they've ever had a surgery, they most likely have been given fentanyl haha but it's the good kind not the stuff with questionable strength and/or xylanzine on the street :p
@@jessegruber3650 ah okay that makes sense, I have trouble just taking otc stuff and I'm not in a medical or pharma field, so honestly I don't really know/recognize most of the names unless they've been on the news. I just recall being kind of in awe that it was something that still gets used therapeutically
@@bellablue5285 yes! even if you don't have allergies to morphine they do use fentanyl. on my latest surgery the last thing I heard before dozing off was the anesthesiologist saying to her assistant "now pass the Fenta" lol. and my dad was given fentanyl while being awake, the first and second day after his heart bypass surgery.
@@bellablue5285 fent* is used by the police now to calm down aggressive people when they need to solve situations. It still have uses but DONT use it after your doctor tell you "no more"
This video is so well-researched! I thoroughly enjoyed all those ads and direct quotes! Thanks for the education!
God I love this channel the set pieces and the outfits you display in each video really make them feel so fun and authentic.
As someone who studies history in university (with interest in early modern medicine and history of mental illness) and is currently writing a bachelor thesis on melancholy in early modern England, i really love your victorian medicine videos, especially because the way you explain everything... much love from Czech republic
Kaz's narration is always interesting. As a LGBTQ person and history nerd myself I love seeing people doing essays who are like-minded. ❤
And the effort they put into the costume and pagentry just adds a cherry to the sundae
Same
I thint they are just *them*✨️
@@tenebrousoul9368 hey just checking to be sure, Kaz’s pronouns are they/them right? I saw some other comments saying she and I thought I remembered Kaz being gender neutral but I wanted to ask someone who did say “they”
@@tyegordon I honestly don't know. I was using "They/Them" just out of respect. I don't know much about Kaz behind the scenes. Sorry.
@@tyegordon Kaz has their pronouns in their TH-cam about and in their instagram bio :)
which are they/them
FIrst time here and I think your video is educational, period inspirational (with the pharma in the background) and outfit, and very very informative. In conclusion, I was blown away by how professional this video was. Bravo!!
Recently discovered your channel and I’m obsessed with it
Kaz! That set design is incredible. Your work on this one was outstanding!
lol I have to do it again
Oh wow it's Patrick Kelly! My other favorite commentator of medical history.
I love how extra the whole presentation is for this video. I'm always impressed all of the staging on Kaz's special videos, but this one just goes so hard.
by far the best video of the wave of this (this being videos about victorian medicine) the algorithm or search engine has thrown at me yet. good work!
My grand-parents were both medical doctors (physicians?), they had their phds in the 50's and their careers were between the 50's and the 90's. When I moved out their house after they passed away, I found old medication samples that labs sent them to give their patients, I found so much codeine based medication samples 🤦 and the worst thing is than the posology for children was basically "cut in half"...
*100 years in the future*
“So you’re telling me they thought CRYSTALS could heal them?”
I need some "dr K Rowe's definitely not poison" merch for sure
Fantastic video as always, Kaz! If you ran a museum I would buy a membership so damn fast.
Great history and a valuable lesson on how nothing really changes when human ambition is left unchecked. Thank you, Kaz!
I absolutely love when you do this kind of topic Kaz, I know I’m in for a equally educational, interesting and morbid experience ❤
I'm surprised I never considered how "every ailment is caused by the same core problem: out of balance humours" made so many of the horrible treatments, panaceas, and quack medicines completely logical. Thank you for the new perspective! Ditto to for driving home how medical practitioners weren't just using excruciating and ineffective treatments with a horrific mortality rate, but the classist aspects and surgeries being a humiliating spectacle. Surprised there was no mention of lightning hands Liston and his record achievement of a 300% mortality rate while operating on a single patient.
Humans have repeatedly developed extremely sophisticated and advanced medicinal systems and ideas, but with enough incorrect foundational pillars for it to go in some very wrong directions. And then there's patterns like our species's worryingly common love for things like mercury 😬
Thanks again Ms Rowe! I am so glad to hear reason. I admire you and your work a lot. It is quite a different thing from much that is on TH-cam.
I love your interior design aesthetic ❤️
I'm from Chicago and I was part of a girls science program and we went to the surgical museum!! I'd never been so horrified as when I saw the birthing spoons 😂🤦🏾♀️🫨
THE WHAT!?
Early gynecology (if it even deserves the name) is scary af :D we had some instruments on display at the museum oh Lord help those women
@@sh1yo7 Wasn't the chainsaw invented for childbirth?
@@Dumb_Killjoyyeah I believe it was the fastest way to cut thru the pelvis for birth complications
Saw this premiering and literally yelled in public, “PART TWO!!!!” 😂😂😂
As a history nerd who loves the day to day side of history your channel has become one of my favorites of the internet lmao
This video was well done and presented. I enjoyed your stile in presenting this narrative. Thank you.
Mum, used to have a book full of 1930’s dodgy advertisements about the household including patent (OTC) medicines that was extremely popular with the poor Glaswegian population. Some of these advertisements were way too scary for a young child!
Liked a lot of the fonts and lettering of that era.
Ah yes, your manager, tutter
set up is beautiful kaz
Im not necessarily questioning the legitimacy of the sponsors' product, but I love that the world we live in allows for 'here's a video on how marketing allowed for people to sell stuff that probably doesn't work, but first, marketing on a product that will 100% fix your skin'
(Not blaming Kaz for using sponsors either, the capitalist hellscape we live in means it's necessary for them to do what they love)
This is actually one of my favorite topics! I was so excited at the tier list and was really looking forward to this video, and I wasn't disappointed.
I was rewatching your videos when I got the notification of this video, I’m so happy! You have helped me get rid of the existential dread I would feel from hearing about any history lol but now I have a special interest in the Victorian era! The medieval period still freaks me out for some reason though lol. Your videos are so cool and the beautiful cinematography inspires me a lot. I’m sure it’s sparked an interest in history for so many more besides me because of your unique style
It’s so satisfying seeing the whole set after following your insta stories
33:43 Ok this is so interesting because I’m currently reading “don’t call it a cult” by Sarah Berman about NXIVM the cult/mlm. And that’s exactly what Keith Raniere did, he starting by finding vulnerable people then using powerful/influential white women to pedal his ideologies and promote everything for him, under the guise that he was helping them become better spiritually, physically, and mentally. I really appreciate this video because it just helps me understand a little bit more about how these harmful schemes can occur.
Duuuuuuddde… did you seriously buy a custom frosted glass sign for your apothecary!?!?! Nobody goes above and beyond like Kaz! 👏👏👏
I think it's a large printed piece of paper stuck on a mirror
@@vincentbriggs1780 I agree, but it’s a great effect for video!
@@kagitsune it is! The whole backdrop looks fantastic!
You can get translucent vinyl sheets that you can run through a Cricut and press onto glass to create a frosted glass effect.
This is a topic I'm *really* fascinated by, and yours is the *definitive* documentary on it. Absolutely stellar! ❤
Wonderful content Kaz!
You’re so educational and nice to look at and hear. Keep it comin.
Yeah mixing a bunch of stuff together and saying it can cure everything. Most definitely lead to unpleasantness.
“It does cure male hysteria”
*Bud Light has entered chat*
I find this stuff fascinating but also scary, thanks for making this, it’s really enjoyable
So glad this channel came back up in my algorithm
Watching this when sick was an experience.. excellent video as always!
Delightful video as always! Its so cool to learn more about history, so thank you for the references you put in the description ❤
This is so on point. Thank you for calling out Gwenneth as well. As someone suffering from the neglectful, predatory modern day American Healthcare system, not wanting to throw more good money after bad, just hoping to die quickly without too much pain, at least I can be educated about how we got here in the first place. Thank you for your work. Just discovered your channel and it's helping me get through my days.
I’m not sure how I stumbled upon this video but it has been an informative, entertaining 45 minutes!!! Keep up the awesome videos!!!