Medical Advice from Dr. Chase

This is from Dr. Chase's Recipes for Everybody , which was published in dozens of editions, in at least two languages (English and German), with publishers in three countries (United States, Canada and England). My copy is from 1902, but the book was originally published in the 1860s (at least from the research I've done). The book has literally hundreds of 'practical recipes' for

Merchants, Grocers, Saloon Keepers, Physicians, Druggists, Tanners, Shoemakers and Harness Makers, Painters, Jewelers, Blacksmiths, Miners, Gunsmiths, Furriers, Barbers, Bakers, Dyers, Renovaters, Farmers and Families Generally. My copy's title page also states To which have been added - A Rational Treatment of Pleurisy , Inflammation of the Lungs and other Inflammatory Diseases, and also for General Female Weakness and Irregularities. .

I could go on and on and list dozens of recipes (and if anyone wants examples, let me know!) but I'll just list this one that I found last night and had to text message to all my girlfriends.

"Pill for Painful Menstruation- Anodyne . Extract of stramonium (which is actually jimsun weed, a coarse, poisonous plant) and sulphate of quinine (commonly used for treatment of malaria), of each 16 grains ( equal to 0.06479891 grams), macrotin (aka Black Cohosh, still used for "female complaints" and used in Deadwood era and earlier as an abortifacient.), 8 grains, and MORPHINE 1 grain. Make into 8 pills. Dose- one pill, repeating once or twice only 40 to 50 minutes apart, if the pain does not subside before this time. The advantage of this pill is that costiveness in not increased and pain must subside under it's use. " page 180

As you all know, my interest in this type of thing is huge, and I've spent many happy hours doing research and learning about medical treatments in history. My newest acquisition, a book entitled Sexual Disorders of the Male and Female from 1897 by A.M. Taylor, MD, has quite literally, the scariest drawings I've ever seen. There is one plate of a European man from the late 1700s who was displayed in all the larger medical arenas of France and Spain, who has two fully functional penises, 3 scrotum, and a third leg which is atrophied and spondylosed, that protrudes from the "taint". This drawing left me staring and gaping, so completely bizarre and unreal looking. According to the accompanying text, the man was able to use either penis in coitus, and they would become erect simultaneously and would ejaculate synchronously. Wow. My friend Sabine and I spent a good 20 minutes Saturday night trying to figure out if he could have two women at once and how they'd have to be positioned before we collapsed in hysterics. We were unable to imagine it without some sort of apparatus holding them up.

And to come back to the 20th century (maybe I'll get to the current one next time) I saw a movie last night called Twin Falls, Idaho which I really enjoyed. The Polish Brothers , who wrote and directed the film as well as playing the Falls twins, were classic examples of My Taste In Guys. Tall, thin, dark haired and wearing kind of old fashioned clothes- (ok, the part where they're conjoined twins is not usually something I go for)- if these guys had been at my college I would have spent probably the same amount of time I spent on doing my thesis chasing them.

My Collector Obsession & Look Ma, no Scientology References!

Or I why I want all the poison bottles. Since Ectoplasm wanted to know about my poison bottles, here's a little bit about my collection. 1st off, y'all know I'm a nurse. I've had an interest in all things old and medical since my original college days (psych BA, not the nursing degree)- The books that I read over and over are: Devils, Drugs, and Doctors , The Lame, The Halt, and the Blind, , The First Line of the Physic , which I have a copy of that was published in 1802 and is one of my prized possessions, and "Dr. Chase's Recipes" which is basically a book of testimonials from people who were thrilled with his tonics and elixirs that cured everything from cancer to consumption. That one is from 1902. The Haggard books are from the late 1920's and early 30's. They fucking rock.

Poison bottles vary in appearance. My poison bottles- the ones I got in Maine are- a green glass Arsenic bottle with red label proclaiming POISON in big letters, and the antidote (Ferric Hydrate, Emetics. Give freely milk, water, white of eggs and flour) There is also a kick ass old fashioned skull and crossbones on the label. I have another skull and crossbone adorned bottle, which is for Liniment, by J.E.G.F. Harper & Co Druggists, from Madison Indiana. It has POISON! CAUTION! in large lettering across the top. One of the earliest ones I got was fluid extract no. 178 Digitalis, which comes from the foxglove plant. Hence, my name. This also proclaims POISON in large letters.

A frightening one pint bottle of UD Elixir Strychnine Phosphate with Iron Citrochloride states that 3 teaspoonfuls daily respresents 49.5 mg of iron, or 4 times the minimum daily adult requirement. I have no idea how much strychnine the average adult is supposed to have but suspect it's very little, like...none. One of my other brand new ones is my Perry Davis Liniment Painkiller Brand. Contains Alcohol 51%, capsicum, gum guiac (apparently used for detection of occult bleeding), gum myrrh , camphor and oil spice. The main attraction for this purchase is that it came in it's original box with the original pamphet for usage. Cool. Visiting my in-laws two summers ago, in Bay City (no rollers in sight) I found a bottle of Vapo Cresoline with the contents intact. The cork was all damaged (cuz it's old) and the vapors from it caused us to have to pull the car over and air it out twice. Bug's father, who is a chemist, had to figure out some way to dispose of it safely. People used to use the device in the link and BURN THE STUFF NEXT TO THEIR HEADS WHILE THEY SLEPT. How anyone survived I cannot imagine.

Now- the Vapo Cresoline bottle has raised glass ridges and dots- as do both of my tincture of iodine bottles (both of which are blue). I have a few non-labeled amber bottles that also have these raised bits. The reason for this was that so the consumer would be able to tell, in the dark or if they were perhaps blind, just by touch that these bottles contained poison. Interestingly, my arsenic bottle does not have raised areas, nor does my strychnine. I also have a few chemical compound bottles. When my sweet husband finally finds the camera charger (or we break down and buy new camera) I will e-mail pics to our darling Aughra who will then figure out how to post the pics here.

What I want, more than anything is this : a spring loaded lancet that was used to make small cuts for bleeding. This site is like my dream Christmas list. Especially if everything on it was delivered to me by John Hawkes , Mads Mikkelsen, , David Thewlis, or my original number one crush, Mr. Gary Oldman.

Of course if they came from Bug (again, not you Lightning Bug's Butt, I'm referring to my husband Bug) they'd be just as special. I hope he reads this....

I'm proud of Brooke Shields

And I grew up in the same town where she and her mom lived for a long time. Her mom still lives there. It's the only tourist attraction in the town. 2.5 square miles, mainly golf course. Drive around and point to house "that's Brooke Shields' house". It's a pretty house. Anyway- I think it's great that she came forward to discuss her battle with postpartum depression. Lorraine Bracco admitted to being treated for depression. The fact that being treated for an illness that occurs in almost 20 million people each year in the US alone and admitting it opens you up to ridicule and abuse (granted from a total crackpot) shows how poorly people with mental illness are regarded.

By now, most of you who don't live in a cave, are probably aware of the little war going on between Tom Cruise and Brooke Shields. Apparently Tom doesn't approve of her using antidepressants to recover from postpartum depression. . Obviously you've all heard this and seen it rehashed over and over.

Now the whole thing with Katie Holmes is just skyrocketing his sketchiness.

I'm all for religious rights. Being that I have no religious affiliation- Christmas is Santa's Birthday, and Chocolate Eggs were created by the Easter Bunny (on Easter)- all organized religions seem a little fucked up to me. But this Scientology thing...it seriously creeps me out. The main reason, oddly enough, is not that John Travolta and Tom Cruise seem to have somehow lassoed this into continuing their careers to my distaste, but this- their stance on mental illness. . This is so so so wrong and dangerous. There is enough stigma attached to mental illness that these crackpots sprouting theories that vitamins are all that is needed and there is no such thing as schizophrenia is really unnecessary and again, dangerous. more fun from Hubbard's gang- .

I would be interested to see one of these Scientology doctors spend the day on the psychiatric unit where I work. The treatment that scientologists employ for psychotic episodes (delusions, hallucinations, etc) is: this. I'd like to see Tom Cruise stand in a room with 20 acutely psychotic patients and attempt his treatment. If there was any justice in the world, he'd be accidentally killed in a vitamin overdose.

You absolutely must go to this site, RIGHT AWAY. . Because it is funny, and I still like funny.

and I still loathe Lindsay Lohan. I promise this will be my last scientology related post for awhile. Unless Cruise says something new that's really stupid.

More fun stuff: my brother adopted a new dog- his name is Connor and he is from the Coastal Humane Society in Brunswick, Maine. He's awesome. I also scored some gorgeous poison and sketchy medicine bottles in antique stores. I love that shit. And I still love Maine.

I love Maine

Just got back from visiting my 24 year old brother in his Brand New Just Built house in Westbrook, Maine. The house is gorgeous- 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, a fabulous front porch and a deck out back. He's the last house on a dead end street, with tons of trees and a nice woody path leading to a stream. It's gorgeous. I met his new girlfriend, a very pretty and very funny girl whom I liked very much. Checked out his place of employment- Hannaford Brothers , where he is the assistant manager- he has a degree in Food Science from Cornell University, and is now one of the big boss men in his store in Windham, ME. His house is gorgeous- it'll look better when he gets some curtains and actually moves the boxes out of every room, but it's really lovely.

And now the painful truth- I am so so so so so so so jealous that my baby brother has a house. Not just a house, but...a house with a washer and dryer. Huge capacity. Gorgeous. I draped myself across the washer and wept. I want a washing machine and dryer so fucking badly. I'm so proud of him- he's a smart guy, very handsome, and an all around great guy. He's worked hard to get where he's at, and though I am insanely jealous, I'm very happy for him.

And the house next door to his is for sale. Also brand new and just a little bit bigger....$235000. Where I live now ,the exact same house would easily cost $500000. Which is why me and Bug rent. It's tempting to move up there- but Bug's job is pretty much tied to NYC. As an RN, I can work basically anywhere- although psychiatric nursing positions are harder to come by than medical surgical ones, and if you've ever read this before, you know how I feel about that. ick....

And on a completely unrelated note:
on a scale of 1-10, 1 being very little and 10 being a whole hell of a lot-

How freaked out are you by the Tom Cruise/"Kate" Holmes media extravaganza? (He calls her Kate instead of Katie cause it sounds more mature)

I think we need to start printing up "Save Katie" shirts. I don't particularly like her, nothing against the girl, but damn- the whole world is watching her get brainwashed by the creepy Church of Scientology zealot. I mean...ick...it's just...not right. I don't think of it as a publicity thing so much as a creepy Jim Jones like thing. Ask Aughra about Scientology. She's full of info.

And PS-
Aughra, baby, I love my care package and I love you. Maine has Tim and his new...friend....who I will post pics of as soon as I have them- I"ll give you a hint- he's got four legs and a waggy tail- but Michigan has you.....and you put up with my shit better than anyone else...

Oh, and Todd still wants to know when we're getting married!

I love things that cater to the catty bitch in all of us

Or at least everyone I know.

Good example that I'm pretty sure our darling Aughra has already posted (and nyah nyah she's my best friend) is this gem that mocks Lindsay Lohan who as you all probably know, really really irritates me.

I am currently spending my second hour obsessively clicking on links at this deliciously cruel site . Celebrities get paid way too much for work that, although enjoyable, isn't really essential. There are exceptions to this rule, and they are mainly actors I like/find hugely attractive. The others are all taking up money that people like teachers, nurses, nursing assistants (imagine staying in a hospital, being weak and in pain with only the nurse to take care of you. Now imagine that she has 7 other patients just like you and a huge mound of paperwork. And doctors yelling at her. But you have to go to the bathroom now. Without the nursing assistants, hospital stays would be even more unpleasant than they already are), mental health workers, social workers, and other people who try to contribute to helping others could use. No this is not just because I am a nurse and want more money. It's cause I hate Lindsay Lohan.