Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

History of Medicine

About   |  Collections   |  Exhibitions   |  Research Tools   |  Copyright   |  Get Involved   |  Visit   |  Contact

Here Today, Here Tomorrow: Varieties of Medical Ephemera
Here Today, Here Tomorrow: Varieties of Medical Ephemera banner. Here Today, Here Tomorrow is written in brown lettering above Varities of Medical Ephemera written in blue letter. Addiction written in blue lettering below an image of a woman laying in a bed with two children at her side. AIDS written in blue lettering below a red AIDS ribbon Bookplates written in blue lettering below an illustration of a man leaning against a stack of books holding a rod of Asclepius in his left hand. Children written in blue lettering below a color image of a boy sitting in a chair playing doctor on a dog lying on a table while three girls look on. Medical Education written in blue lettering below an illustration of a doctor making patient rounds in a hospital with three students attending. Medicine Show written in blue lettering below a color illustration of the cover of Graphic Scenes Kickapoo Indian Life in the South and West. Public Health written in blue lettering below a diagonal half white half black illustration with a cigarette in the center surrounded by a red circle with a line through it. The bottom right black diagonal has Thank you for not smoking here written in white lettering. Tuberculosis written in blue lettering below a predominantly blue poster with white and yellow lettering. In the center is an illustration of Santa Claus holding a little girl in one arm and an oversized Christmas seal in the other hand. Buy Christmas Seals Fight Tuberculosis is in yellow lettering at the bottom. Women written in blue lettering below a black and white image of a woman standing and taking the pulse of a man sitting in a chair. In the upper left corner are the words The Lady Doctor in black lettering.

Addiction

Addiction to alcohol, nicotine and narcotic drugs remains one of the most serious problems affecting society. Over the years, many products have been touted as effective and reliable cures; and ephemera for such singular remedies as No-To-Bac, Alcola, the Hindoo Tobacco Habit Cure and the Magno Mud Cure remain as evidence of their failure. But effective agents such as the prescription drug Antabuse, a postcard for which is displayed, and to some extent, the Keeley Cure, a forerunner of certain measures adopted by Alcoholics Anonymous are also represented. The Keeley Cure, a system of treatment which relied heavily on injections of Bichloride of Gold (a chemical impossibility) was so well-known in its day, that several popular songs, such as an Irish comic song, entitled "The Keeley Cure," parodied it unmercifully.

Such popularity also was achieved by products which contained narcotic ingredients, including Vin Mariani, incorporating the active principle of the coca leaf, and Mrs. Winslow's Soothing Syrup, a remedy for children which contained morphine.

Color lithograph poster by Jules Chéret, of a woman in a yellow dress and hat leaping while pouring a glass of dark wine. The title of the poster says Vin Mariani in red lettering across the top. On the bottom of the poster in blue lettering is written popular French tonic wine: fortifies and refreshes body and brain restores health and vitality.

Angelo Mariani, Vin Mariani,
color lithograph poster by Jules Chéret,
in series Les Maîtres de l'Affiche (No.77),
Paris, 1894,
40 x 29 cm.

The color cover of No-To-Bac booklet featuring an example of the No-To-Bac and its box. In the center are the words don't tobacco spit and smoke your life away, take the nerve maker No-To-Bac guaranteed cure; brings sweet rewards 400,000 cured why not you? On the right side is an illustration of a man and woman kissing.

Sterling Remedy Co.,
No-To-Bac,
32 page booklet, illus.,
Chicago, c. 1895,
15.2 x 8.4 cm.


A trade card for the Father Matthew Remedy Co. featuring an color illustration of two cats walking upright. The cat on the left holds a fan in its right paw while the cat on the left plays a mandolin.

Father Mathew Remedy Co.,
Father Mathew Remedy,
trade card,
n.p., c. 1890,
10.4 x 7 cm.

A green advertisement for the Keeley Institute of the East in the form of facsimile Confederate money stating that the bill is worthless and so are imitation gold cures so insist on taking the genuine Keeley Treatment.

The Keeley Institute of the East,
advertisement in the form of facsimile Confederate paper money,
Brooklyn, New York, c. 1920,
8.2 x 18.6 cm.


Billhead from the Sterling Remedy Co., featuring an illustration of the Indiana Mineral Springs. The billhead acknowledges to Marion Roberts, Esq of the payment of $4.00 to his account.

Sterling Remedy Co.,
billhead,
Indiana Mineral Springs, Indiana, 1892, 16.3 x 21.4 cm.

Cover of The Living Death,: opium, morphine, chloral, hashisch, alcohol by H. H. Kane, A.M., M. D. In the center is an illustration of a sculture of three people wearing no clothes reaching up.

H. H. Kane, M.D.,
The Living Death,
48 page booklet, illus.,
New York, 1883,
16.5 x 12.5 cm.


Illustrated color post card of the exterior view of the Leslie E. Keeley Co. laboratory and office.

Leslie E. Keeley Co.,
The Keeley Cure,
laboratory and office, illustrated color post card,
Dwight, Illinois, c. 1910,
8.9 x 13.8 cm.

Trade card of the Monroe's Improved Gold Cure Co.

Monroe's Gold Cure Co.,
trade card,
Bemus Point, New York, c. 1900,
7 x 13.7 cm.


Light blue cover of a booklet with a woman in a flowing gown holding a sword in her right hand and raising a shield with the word Alcola in her left hand. Below the woman are the words liquor's greatest foe in dark blue lettering.

The Physicians Cooperative Association,
Alcola, Liquor's Greatest Foe,
28 page color booklet, illus.,
Chicago, 1909,
15.8 x 8.6 cm.

Sterling Remedy Co., letterhead featuring an illustration of the town of Indiana Mineral Springs, Indiana at the top. This is a letter discussing the merits of No-To-Bac with a hand written note at the bottom asking for the names of any friends who could use it as well.

Sterling Remedy Co.,
letterhead,
Indiana Mineral Springs, Indiana, 1893,
27.6 x 20 cm.


Advertisement for the Magno Mud Cure in Indiana Mineral Springs featuring an exterior view of the hotel located near the springs.

Sterling Remedy Co.,
No-To-Bac brings its reward,
32 page booklet, illus.,
Chicago, c. 1910,
8.3 x 14.6 cm.

Advertisement for No-To-Bac. Stop Naturally! The outside of the advertistement has black circles with No-To-Bac written in white lettering. On the inside right side is an illustration of a man wearing gladiator uniform holding a sword in his right hand and a shield in his left hand. King No-To-Bac in on his chest and No-To-Bac kills tobacco is on the shield. The man stands with his right foot on the chest of another man dressed as a gladiator with a helmet that says nicotine. Another shield rests against the victor's left leg saying nicotin is dead.

Sterling Remedy Co.,
No-To-Bac. Stop Naturally!,
advertisement,
New York, 1895,
24.8 x 16.2 cm.


An broadside advertisement for the Hindoo Tobacco Habit Cure. In the upper left corner is a head and shoulders illustration of a man wearing a turban while in the bottom right corner is an exterior view of the Milford Drug Company building.

Hindoo Tobacco Habit Cure,
broadside,
Milford, Indiana, c. 1890,
30.2 x 25.7 cm.

An advertistement for The Narcoti-Chemical Co., Narcoti-Cure cures the tobacco habit in Munsey's Magazine. In the center left side of the adverisment is a white knight carrying a lance on a horse charging the black monster tobacco.

The Narcoti-Chemical Co.,
Narcoti-Cure cures the tobacco habit,
advertisement,
Springfield, Massachusetts, 1895,
24.5 x 15.8 cm.


A color postcard showing a mother in bed with her children; she is reading a newspaper advertisement for Mrs. Winslow's Soothing Syrup.

Mrs. Winslow's Soothing Syrup,
color postcard reproduction of a 19th century trade card,
New York, 1985,
10.5 x 15.3 cm.

Last Reviewed: January 25, 2024