Perth County newspapers used to regularly feature advertisements for dubious 'cure-alls'

We’re now entering cold and flu season in Canada; the time of year when people begin taking supplements like echinacea to try to avoid getting sick.

Historically, a variety of remedies were used to combat the unpleasant symptoms of seasonal viruses. Some of these remedies included patent medicines that were marketed as cure-alls from the late 1800s to early 1900s. People could buy these medicines from travelling salesmen, at fairs and carnivals, through the mail, and at local drug and general stores. It was no exception in Perth County. One-hundred-and-fifty years ago, these patent medicines were advertised in newspapers and sold by local druggists; they were claimed to cure everything from dyspepsia (indigestion) to whooping cough. However, the reality was that many of these “cure-alls” were doing more harm than good.

In December 1877, Fellows’ Compound Syrup of Hypophosphites was advertised in the Listowel Banner. Labelled as a “reformer and vitalizer of the blood.” the compound contained pure strychnine. Strychnine is a highly toxic nerve poison often found in rat poison and other pesticides. It claimed to “wash out” acute or chronic........

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