Pills and profits : the selling of medicines since 1870 : an exhibition at the Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine / Ken Arnold, Tilli Tansey.
- Arnold, Ken, 1960-
- Date:
- 1994
Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Credit: Pills and profits : the selling of medicines since 1870 : an exhibition at the Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine / Ken Arnold, Tilli Tansey. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![11.2 'Sequah on Clapham Common'. Anonymous oil painting; English, c. 1890 Dressed in cowboy costume, a Sequah salesman (possibly William Hartley, the com- pany's founder) can be seen proudly holding up an extracted tooth. Part of the Sequah medicine show involved a display of tooth-drawing. The art of dentistry was strongly associated with America. The two other cowboys on stage are seen rubbing a rheumatic patient - another part of the act. In the background is a brass band. As is evident from the picture, Sequah's performances were attended by large audiences. Some 30 000 people were estimated to have come each day to see a show in Leeds in October 1889. Iconographic Collections 11.3 The New Kickapoo Doctor, USA, [189-?] Kickapoo were one of the numerous 'Indian' medicine firms that flourished in America at the end of the nineteenth century. Like Sequah, they marketed remedies supposedly based on American Indian recipes. Their products included 'Indian Sagwa' and 'Indian Salve'. As with other similar medicines, much was made of their 'naturalness'. To be diseased is unnatural, and can only occur when Nature's laws have been violated, reads a slogan on the booklet's title page. CMAC GC/69/10 11.4 'Free Indian Exhibition'. Advertising flyer; USA, [189-?]. Healy & Bigelow's New Cook Book, USA, [189-?] Printed by the Kickapoo Indian Agency in New York, the flyer advertises an Indian medicine show. Amongst the attractions announced is Little Bright Eye - Daughter of a Kickapo [sic] Chief. The Kickapoo company was a large outfit; in 1884 some 31 units were operating in Illinois alone. The format of the two booklets is similar: each page of recipes or 'useful' facts is set opposite promotional information about Kickapoo products. CMAC GC/69/6A II. 5 Dr Morse's Indian Root Pills Almanac, USA, 1891 Operating from Morristown, New York, Dr Morse's pills were another remedy pro- moted as being American Indian in origin. A short history of the medicine describes how Morse travelled among the savage Indian tribes to learn their methods of curing diseases in nature's way. The Almanac's contents are a mixture of general information and descriptions of complaints which the pills will cure, accompanied by testimonials from satisfied customers. CMAC GC/69/6A](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b20456517_0028.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
