Snake Oil, Hustlers and Hambones: The American Medicine Show

by Ann Anderson

Long before television and radio commercials beckoned to potential buyers, the medicine show provided free entertainment and promised cures for everything from corns to cancer. Combining elements of the circus, theater, vaudeville, and good old-fashioned entrepreneurship, the showmen of the American medicine show sold tonics, ointments, pills, extracts and a host of other "wonder-cures," guaranteed to "cure what ails you." While the cures were seldom miraculous, the medicine show was an important part of American culture and of performance history. Harry Houdini, Buster Keaton, and P.T. Barnum all took a turn upon the medicine show stage. This study of the medicine show phenomenon surveys nineteenth century popular entertainment and provides insight into the ways in which show business, advertising, and medicine manufacture developed in concert. The colorful world of the medicine show, with its Wild West shows, pie-eating contests, clowns, and menageries, is fully explored. Photographs of performers and of the fascinating handbills and posters used to promote the medicine show are included.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Medicine, Medical, Health, Historical, Music

200 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2000

About the author

I'm a freelance writer - lots of magazine articles, two history books and a YA on the shelves.

I was a voice-over and stage actress for many years. Now I read and write in Portland, Oregon.

My more official blog is annandersonwriter.com.

My articles, essays, journal pieces are archived at

https://sites.google.com/site/freelan...

Thanks for your interest.

Join me on Twitter, we'll yammer at each other.
@Andersonista

or Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/annandersonw...

Reviews

[Abbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely fascinating and fun read about the history of medicine shows. It covers how distrust in the almost completely useless medical system lead to a market for patent medicines. It also explores the spectacle, marketing, theatrics, and hype that surrounded the sale of patent medicine. Every chapter is full of bold, unfettered personalities, like P.T. Barnum and Wild Bill Hickok. It also explores how problematic these people were, exploiting indigenous people's image while dehumanizing the hell out of them (for example, keeping them in human zoos).

What fascinated me the most about this book are the obvious parallels to today. There's still legitimate distrust, financial barriers, and systemic bias built into America's medical system, and there are still hucksters out there happy to exploit the people who are suspicious of the medical system, from anti-vax Youtube channels to wellness influencers selling placebos. Not only is reading this book entertaining, it's like seeing the secret foundation of why things are the way they are today.

[Ann Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recommend this book because I wrote it! Now out on Kindle.

[Dasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

At the end of this book Anderson aptly proves that no matter what - entertainment sells and that throughout much of the eighteenth and early nineteenth century that entertainment often came in the form of medicine. This included medicine shows, often hosted by charlatans, dentists, or other entrepreneurs, that used entertainment to sell medical products which could occur as the medical profession was far from consolidated and professionalized in the US. The form of entertainment varied from religious impersonation to minstrel shows but the result was the same: medicine and soaps sold to naive populations. Deeply researched and full of images this is an incredibly worthwhile read.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a remarkable book about the history of medicine shows in America. I bought it for the entertainment history, but along the way I learned some fascinating things about the history of medicine and (lack of) government regulation as well as the history of advertising. It is extensively researched, containing 11 pages of endnotes and a three-page bibliography. I highly recommend it if any of these issues are of interest.

[Scott Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book to end the year.

[panda · Rating 4 out of 5]

DNF but this is a lovely book that I fully intend to return to one of these days.

[Hilary "Fox" · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four out of five stars.

This book was extremely informative and extensively researched. Almost every chapter included testimony from the autobiographies of medicine show pitchmen, con artists, and others around at the time. The primary sources were fascinating, and the advertisements for the various quack medicine were such high quality that you could read the fine print. Very helpful.

My only regret was that the book wasn't longer. I was really enjoying reading the research and learning about this rather unique time in American history. I would recommend this book to anyone researching this time as an introductory text. The bibliography is extensive enough to continue research into more comprehensive publications.

[R MAY]

STEP RIGHT UP LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.... I bought this due to an interest in alternative medicine and medicine of the pioneers, but what I got was a lot more. For example, I learned that PT Barnum got his start in medicine shows. Medicine, advertising and show-business were so closely intertwined one could not tell where one ends and the other begins This book was as fun to read as it was informative - full of interesting facts about the early days of western medicine that dates back to the roman times and the acts put on to get you to buy "medicine". You can see how these early acts and the marketing of modern medicine have evolved together and you will be able to look at ads with a more critical eye. This is a great book that will leave you wanting to learn more.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very readable. I quite enjoyed this look at the Medicine show and how it evolved and changed. And how the format has affected modern entertainment mediums such as Television and Radio - free entertainment(laden with medical pitches) sandwhiched by advertisements. A pity the book is so short, but at the moment I can't conjure any topics I would like further information on. I think I might like a closer look at some of the figures mentioned within.

[Warren]

why is it so goddamned hard to find the "page i'm currently on" option?
i merely wish to note that i was on page 27 of this book, but had to return it to the library. i am not ready to write a review.

[Mary Robinette Kowal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very useful book and I need to purchase a copy to have on hand while writing. Clear detail with lots of quotes from first hand accounts.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty mediocre history. The closest the author got to primary research was a couple of memoirs.