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Do you remember
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when a cure for deafness
came with a window seat?
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Pilots take you thousands
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of feet in the air doing
crazy vertical dives,
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corkscrew turns,
and loopty loops.
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You might get sick
but passengers say
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that it does work.
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Or when a treatment for
allergies was a real whiz?
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You provide a urine sample.
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It's put through a centrifuge
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and then injected
back into your body.
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That's right, you get
injected with your own pee.
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Or when one medical
breakthrough could be deadly.
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On one side it says
dose, one tablet.
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On the other side, it says
poison, which one is it?
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I'm not a doctor,
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but giving children rat
poison isn't good for them.
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These are the
things we used to do.
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For fun, for money,
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or maybe out of boredom,
that we'll never see again.
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Were they dangerous? Certainly.
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Deadly? Occasionally.
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But boy, wasn't it exciting?
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Don't you wish that curing
dental issues could be as fun
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and painless as seeing a show?
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Well, there was a time when
that wasn't just a fantasy,
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except maybe for
the painless part.
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In the 1890s, dentistry
is very, very painful.
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There's really no
anesthesia, no antibiotics,
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so you could walk in there
to get a tooth pulled
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and walk out with a very
dangerous infection.
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Most people just avoid
the dentist altogether.
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So when a man named Edgar
Randolph Parker graduates
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from dental school and goes
to set up his dental practice,
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he's got a problem.
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No patients.
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So he decides he's going
to stand on a street corner
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with a very unique
dental sales pitch.
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He will pull your
tooth out for 50 cents,
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and if you feel pain,
he'll pay you $5.
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There is a saying,
"The house always wins."
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Well, Parker is the house.
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He's placing the bet,
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and he has one very
significant ace up his sleeve.
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A little substance
known as cocaine.
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Now, as crazy as it
seems, at this point in history,
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cocaine is completely
legal in the United States.
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It's actually seen as
a very effective cure-all
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for everything from
stomach issues to fatigue.
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It's a great painkiller.
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You used to even be able
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to buy cocaine
capsules at a pharmacy.
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Plus, cocaine is
pretty cheap.
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You could buy a box of cocaine
pills for like 50 cents.
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In today's money,
that's like $18.
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So for the same price you're
spending on a six-pack of beer,
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you're getting a box of cocaine.
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What Parker does is
add the cocaine to water
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and inject it directly
into the patient's gums.
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If you inject cocaine into
your gum, it's going to work.
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It's going to kill the pain.
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And if the pain
returns,
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just top them off
with a bit of whiskey.
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He markets himself
as painless Parker,
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and people who are terrified
of the dentist start lining up.
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That's when he
decides to upgrade his cure
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into a traveling show.
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He calls it the
Painless Parker Dental Circus.
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This is back when
traveling medicine men
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are a thing.
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Why not have a
traveling dental circus?
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You make money off of the show
and also off the dentistry.
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Who cares that you're pulling
out teeth around animals
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in completely
unsanitary conditions?
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Parker's circus
has everything.
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Dancing ladies,
contortionists, show girls
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with a 15-piece band, and of
course, the main attraction.
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Tooth pulling with
cocaine and whiskey.
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Parker is dressed
to the nines.
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He's wearing a top hat,
he's wearing tails,
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and he's wearing a necklace
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of 357 human teeth that he
pulled out in a single day.
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He's like the
ringmaster at a
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three-ring circus.
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And he's selling dental hygiene
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and products like Painless
Parker's mouthwash.
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After warming up
the crowd, he proceeds
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to the main attraction or
extraction, if you will.
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He gets a volunteer
from the audience.
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He takes out his tools.
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He does his injections and
his whatnot and like magic.
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No wincing, no winging,
no yelping, nothing.
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Painless Parker.
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There's a good reason
things go so well,
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and it's not the cocaine.
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So the person who
volunteers is a plant.
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Somebody who has a fake
tooth that Parker pretends
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to pull out.
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Painless Parker
is Billy [bleep]
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but his spectacle is flawless.
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And the crowd falls for it.
They're totally into it.
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But the extractions
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for real patients
aren't always painless.
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As Parker starts speeding
up things, he takes a shortcut
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of squirting the cocaine
into the cavity rather
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than injecting it into the gum.
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And that doesn't work the same.
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Injecting the cocaine
directly
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into the cavity can
cause infections.
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If you swallow it, it
can cause other problems
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like heart attacks.
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And it doesn't really
get rid of the pain.
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People are now
screaming throughout these
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procedures, but Parker, being
the showman that he is,
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has a way to cover it up.
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He just cues the
band to play louder.
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Drown out the screams.
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After each performance,
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Parker hits the road,
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leaving behind some
pretty irate customers.
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Dental boards are furious.
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Dentists and states
start to sue him.
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The American Dental
Association brands him a menace
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to the dignity of
the profession.
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In California,
he's actually banned
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from calling himself Painless,
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which obviously is
his whole brand.
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So he know what he
does?
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He legally changes his
first name to Painless.
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Just using my name, folks.
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Even his band can't
drown out the legal threats
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and lawsuits.
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Parker's down, but he's not out.
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Painless Parker retires
the circus and goes legit.
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He eventually operates a chain
of successful dental clinics
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and speaks about the importance
of preventative health
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and dental hygiene.
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But Parker never
loses his love of performing.
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He makes educational films.
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He hosts a call-in radio show,
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and he even helps the
animal's teeth at the zoo.
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You know, his methods
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in retrospect probably
weren't the right thing to do,
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but I appreciate a man
like Painless Parker trying
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to make it better for all of us.
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Now, if you think Painless
Parker was wild, wait
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until you meet Clark Stanley.
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He had a cure that
would leave you rattled.
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In the 19th century,
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America is building a
vast railroad network.
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It's very difficult, very
dangerous, grueling work.
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And so the typical
worker suffers from a lot
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of physical aches and pains.
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For thousands
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of Chinese immigrants
working on the railroad,
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there is a cure.
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Oil derived from their
native water snakes.
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Chinese workers rub this on
their bodies where it hurts,
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and it actually relieves
the symptoms of arthritis,
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bursitis, and rheumatism.
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Sounds crazy, but
it really works.
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These snakes contain a high
level of omega-3 fatty acids,
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which deliver
actual pain relief.
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Suddenly,
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there's a market for snake
oil in the American West.
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There's only one problem.
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America doesn't
have those snakes.
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But one entrepreneur
sees an opportunity
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to make a lot of money.
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Clark Stanley, he's a cowboy,
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and he sees rattlesnake oil
as a business opportunity.
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Rattlesnakes are a
totally different snake,
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but it sounds good.
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I mean, what's more
potent than a rattlesnake?
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And that's good
enough for Stanley.
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Stanley decides to
debut this snake oil
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at the world's Colombian
Exposition in 1893.
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Millions of Americans
come to this thing
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to see fascinating
new inventions.
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This is where the
world is first introduced
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to Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer,
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the automatic dishwasher,
and Wrigley's chewing gum.
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Stanley, he rises
to the occasion,
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dressed in full cowboy garb
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with a crowd
gathering around him.
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He slices open a
live rattlesnake,
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drops it in boiling water.
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He skims the oil off the top
and bottles it right there.
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He calls it Clark Stanley's
Snake Oil Liniment.
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He claims he was
taught this recipe
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by a Hopi medicine man.
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He said it cures
basically any ailment.
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Clark Stanley's
snake oil liniment
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will kill your baldness.
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This will solve
your male impotence.
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Do you have rheumatism
or arthritis?
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Only Clark's patented snake
oil liniment will help you.
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But rattlesnake oil
doesn't even contain enough
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omega-3s
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to soothe your muscles,
much less do anything else.
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His snake oil cure is a sham.
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00:09:11,855 --> 00:09:14,422
Stanley launches
a nationwide blitz
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of newspaper ads and live shows
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featuring his phony
rattlesnake cure-all.
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It's pretty insane,
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but the product is
actually so successful
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that he sets up two different
production facilities,
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one in Massachusetts
and one in Rhode Island,
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neither of which are known
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for having rattlesnakes
in that area.
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It actually doesn't
matter where he sets up shop,
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because the only time
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00:09:38,665 --> 00:09:41,667
that Clark Stanley's snake
oil liniment contains
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00:09:41,668 --> 00:09:45,235
any snake oil at all is at
the Colombian Exposition.
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00:09:45,236 --> 00:09:46,628
Once it went to market,
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00:09:46,629 --> 00:09:50,893
there was never any snake
oil in his snake oil cure.
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So what's really in
Stanley's snake oil?
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Thanks to the Pure Food and
Drug Act, we actually know.
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In 1916, federal
agents seize bottles of his
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00:10:02,210 --> 00:10:03,819
liniment, and they
find that what's inside
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of it is a little bit alarming.
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Instead of snake oil,
it contains mineral oil,
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capsaicin from chili peppers,
camphor, and turpentine.
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Turpentine dissolves
paint, it is highly toxic.
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And here people are rubbing
Stanley's concoction
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onto themselves like baby oil.
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Stanley's
eventually fined $20.
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It's a meaningless
amount of money,
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but that destroys his reputation
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and causes his
empire to collapse.
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Stanley does leave us
with one final gift though.
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We now have the expression
snake oil salesman
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to describe someone
who's trying to scam you.
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We all know the
importance of being regular,
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but one man built
an empire taking
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that idea a little too far.
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John Harvey Kellogg is
born one of 17 children.
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The Kellogg family
is a big family,
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00:11:02,313 --> 00:11:05,316
but sadly, it's also
riddled with illness.
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He himself suffers
from tuberculosis,
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00:11:08,798 --> 00:11:11,539
severe constipation,
and hemorrhoids,
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and six of his 16 siblings
die of infectious disease.
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00:11:15,413 --> 00:11:16,805
Kellogg goes on
to become a doctor,
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00:11:16,806 --> 00:11:19,242
and in 1876, he takes
over the management
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00:11:19,243 --> 00:11:23,638
of the Battle Creek Medical
Surgical Sanitarium in Michigan.
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People will hear
sanitarium
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and they'll think crazy people.
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It actually has more
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00:11:29,471 --> 00:11:31,602
to do with the word
sanitary being clean,
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00:11:31,603 --> 00:11:35,215
and it was a place for
people with all kinds
251
00:11:35,216 --> 00:11:38,871
of different
illnesses to get well.
252
00:11:38,872 --> 00:11:41,221
Kellogg quickly
turns his childhood sickness
253
00:11:41,222 --> 00:11:44,354
into the main focus
of the sanitarium.
254
00:11:44,355 --> 00:11:48,445
And he believes health
starts from the inside.
255
00:11:48,446 --> 00:11:49,664
Kellogg's work leads
256
00:11:49,665 --> 00:11:52,362
to a theory that all
this disease is caused
257
00:11:52,363 --> 00:11:54,930
by food sitting too
long in the intestine,
258
00:11:54,931 --> 00:11:57,585
basically causing your body
to rot from the inside out.
259
00:11:57,586 --> 00:12:00,501
And he calls it
auto-intoxication.
260
00:12:00,502 --> 00:12:04,331
His solution for
auto-intoxication is simple.
261
00:12:04,332 --> 00:12:05,855
More bowel movements.
262
00:12:07,030 --> 00:12:08,335
And not just like one a day.
263
00:12:08,336 --> 00:12:11,120
We're talking at
least four a day.
264
00:12:11,121 --> 00:12:14,341
But you can't make four
bowel movements a day just
265
00:12:14,342 --> 00:12:16,082
because your doctor
tells you to.
266
00:12:16,083 --> 00:12:18,084
It's not how it works.
267
00:12:18,085 --> 00:12:21,696
So Kellogg invents
a colonic irrigator
268
00:12:21,697 --> 00:12:25,395
that can pump 15 quarts of fluid
269
00:12:25,396 --> 00:12:27,442
into your intestines per minute.
270
00:12:28,660 --> 00:12:33,012
Imagine all the fluid
in one gallon of water.
271
00:12:33,013 --> 00:12:36,580
Now imagine four of those shot
272
00:12:36,581 --> 00:12:39,149
into your colon every minute.
273
00:12:40,368 --> 00:12:41,977
Four of those.
274
00:12:41,978 --> 00:12:44,371
This is not a
relaxing day at the spa.
275
00:12:44,372 --> 00:12:47,940
This is a fire hose
in the outhole.
276
00:12:47,941 --> 00:12:50,290
The colonic irrigator
was not his only attempt
277
00:12:50,291 --> 00:12:51,944
at getting people to poop.
278
00:12:51,945 --> 00:12:54,903
He would invent things
like a chair that vibrated
279
00:12:54,904 --> 00:12:56,731
and made you had to clean out.
280
00:12:56,732 --> 00:12:57,906
This guy's a mad scientist.
281
00:12:57,907 --> 00:13:00,126
He's like the Willy
Wonka of poop.
282
00:13:00,127 --> 00:13:01,867
The machines do everything.
283
00:13:01,868 --> 00:13:05,044
They beat you and pummel
you and shake you.
284
00:13:05,045 --> 00:13:07,916
And after all the
flushing,
285
00:13:07,917 --> 00:13:11,267
Kellogg's going to
give you a yogurt enema
286
00:13:11,268 --> 00:13:15,185
to basically replenish
bacteria in the gut.
287
00:13:16,708 --> 00:13:18,274
By the early 1900s,
288
00:13:18,275 --> 00:13:21,190
the Battle Creek Sanitarium
becomes the wellness resort
289
00:13:21,191 --> 00:13:22,626
of its day.
290
00:13:22,627 --> 00:13:26,195
At its height, it has up
to 1300 patients at a time,
291
00:13:26,196 --> 00:13:28,807
paying 45 to $60 a week.
292
00:13:28,808 --> 00:13:31,157
That's more than twice what
the average worker makes
293
00:13:31,158 --> 00:13:32,201
at the time.
294
00:13:32,202 --> 00:13:33,507
From where I'm sitting
now,
295
00:13:33,508 --> 00:13:35,509
I could look at these
things and be like,
296
00:13:35,510 --> 00:13:37,641
"That's so stupid, and
who would do that?"
297
00:13:37,642 --> 00:13:39,252
But if you look at who did it,
298
00:13:39,253 --> 00:13:41,732
it was like influencers
of the time.
299
00:13:41,733 --> 00:13:44,257
Celebrities would hear
about these things
300
00:13:44,258 --> 00:13:45,824
and then go and do them.
301
00:13:45,825 --> 00:13:49,479
Everyone from Henry
Ford to Thomas Edison,
302
00:13:49,480 --> 00:13:53,309
Booker T. Washington, Amelia
Earhart, Eleanor Roosevelt,
303
00:13:53,310 --> 00:13:56,878
they all come for their
industrial strengths enemas.
304
00:13:56,879 --> 00:13:59,576
But the sanitarium
isn't the oasis it claims
305
00:13:59,577 --> 00:14:01,230
to be.
306
00:14:01,231 --> 00:14:03,711
This enema machine
forces high pressured water
307
00:14:03,712 --> 00:14:06,322
through the system, basically
like a power washer.
308
00:14:06,323 --> 00:14:07,628
It cleans out waste,
309
00:14:07,629 --> 00:14:10,152
but it also can tear
away parts of the colon
310
00:14:10,153 --> 00:14:11,806
and cause a lot of damage.
311
00:14:11,807 --> 00:14:13,243
Ironically,
312
00:14:13,330 --> 00:14:17,987
excessive enema use can
actually lead to constipation.
313
00:14:18,161 --> 00:14:20,380
It's unknown how many
people were injured
314
00:14:20,381 --> 00:14:22,512
or even killed by this
dangerous procedure,
315
00:14:22,513 --> 00:14:25,080
but we do know that there
were several suicides,
316
00:14:25,081 --> 00:14:27,778
which would suggest this
is maybe not a safe place
317
00:14:27,779 --> 00:14:29,911
to go get medical care.
318
00:14:29,912 --> 00:14:33,436
And yet, the
sanitarium is wildly successful
319
00:14:33,437 --> 00:14:35,917
until the Great Depression.
320
00:14:35,918 --> 00:14:37,266
After the stock
market crash,
321
00:14:37,267 --> 00:14:38,572
people don't have money anymore
322
00:14:38,573 --> 00:14:40,835
for recreational
colon cleansing.
323
00:14:40,836 --> 00:14:44,665
So in 1933, the sanitarium
is put into receivership
324
00:14:44,666 --> 00:14:47,059
and it ultimately
closes in the 1940s.
325
00:14:47,060 --> 00:14:49,496
But the end of
the sanitarium does not mean
326
00:14:49,497 --> 00:14:51,802
the end of Kellogg's ideas.
327
00:14:51,803 --> 00:14:55,241
He is just as obsessed with
what goes into the body
328
00:14:55,242 --> 00:14:57,504
as what comes out.
329
00:14:57,505 --> 00:15:01,551
He created a sort
of cereal porridge,
330
00:15:01,552 --> 00:15:06,644
but one night it happened
to dry on the rollers.
331
00:15:07,645 --> 00:15:10,169
And suddenly these
flakes appeared.
332
00:15:10,170 --> 00:15:13,476
Changing the Kellogg
family fortune forever
333
00:15:13,477 --> 00:15:17,394
with the iconic
Kellogg's cornflake.
334
00:15:18,961 --> 00:15:22,181
If you think those
constipation cures defy logic,
335
00:15:22,182 --> 00:15:25,836
there was another miracle
cure that was even more
336
00:15:25,837 --> 00:15:27,795
of a stretch.
337
00:15:27,796 --> 00:15:30,667
In the early 20th
century, the average guy was
338
00:15:30,668 --> 00:15:33,714
about 5' 7", and the average
woman was about 5'3".
339
00:15:33,715 --> 00:15:36,369
Much like today, height
equals confidence,
340
00:15:36,370 --> 00:15:38,675
authority, and power.
341
00:15:38,676 --> 00:15:40,547
So what do you do
if you want to be taller?
342
00:15:40,548 --> 00:15:44,899
Well, in 1914, science had
the answer with the invention
343
00:15:44,900 --> 00:15:47,033
of the pendiculator.
344
00:15:48,599 --> 00:15:51,862
The pendiculator is
this polished wooden table
345
00:15:51,863 --> 00:15:53,168
with leather straps.
346
00:15:53,169 --> 00:15:55,605
You lay down, you strap
your head on one end,
347
00:15:55,606 --> 00:15:56,867
and then your feet on the other,
348
00:15:56,868 --> 00:15:58,958
and then you start to crank.
349
00:16:00,089 --> 00:16:02,134
The crank slowly
stretches your body.
350
00:16:02,135 --> 00:16:05,572
Adds promise that it will
lengthen compressed vertebrae,
351
00:16:05,573 --> 00:16:08,140
and restore inches
lost to gravity.
352
00:16:08,141 --> 00:16:10,490
Some customers report
that they've gained two
353
00:16:10,491 --> 00:16:13,145
and a half inches,
two and a half inches.
354
00:16:13,146 --> 00:16:15,843
That's kind of the difference
between looking up at someone
355
00:16:15,844 --> 00:16:18,063
and looking them in the eye.
356
00:16:18,064 --> 00:16:20,804
The pendiculator
not only promises to make you
357
00:16:20,805 --> 00:16:24,112
taller, but it promises to
relieve back pain, constipation,
358
00:16:24,113 --> 00:16:28,116
headaches, crooked posture,
and even exhausted nerves.
359
00:16:28,117 --> 00:16:31,380
Ads declare that
the pendiculator can give you
360
00:16:31,381 --> 00:16:33,556
the health and
vigor of a soldier.
361
00:16:33,557 --> 00:16:36,907
If you saw the ads, you'd
go, maybe that's worth trying.
362
00:16:36,908 --> 00:16:38,214
Sounds like it would work.
363
00:16:39,476 --> 00:16:42,174
Doctors endorse it.
Newspapers promote it.
364
00:16:42,175 --> 00:16:45,612
You can even order one by
mail, no prescription required.
365
00:16:45,613 --> 00:16:48,441
A doctor in Tampa
advises his patients to come
366
00:16:48,442 --> 00:16:51,313
in and use his pendiculator
if you want superb shoulders
367
00:16:51,314 --> 00:16:53,577
and back, or you want
to gain a little height.
368
00:16:54,013 --> 00:16:57,363
Another doctor calls the
pendiculator the most important
369
00:16:57,364 --> 00:16:59,321
health invention of the century
370
00:16:59,322 --> 00:17:03,847
and urges his patients to come
into his office to grow tall.
371
00:17:03,848 --> 00:17:07,590
But the pendiculator
isn't all it's cracked up to be.
372
00:17:07,591 --> 00:17:08,983
It's a cool idea,
373
00:17:08,984 --> 00:17:11,159
but there's no safety
mechanisms on this thing.
374
00:17:11,160 --> 00:17:15,076
So basically people are
willingly subjecting themselves
375
00:17:15,077 --> 00:17:19,820
to extreme spinal traction
without any medical supervision,
376
00:17:19,821 --> 00:17:23,519
which is a recipe for herniated
discs, for chronic pain,
377
00:17:23,520 --> 00:17:27,219
for paralysis, and
on and on and on.
378
00:17:27,220 --> 00:17:31,832
This is the
medieval torture device known as
379
00:17:31,833 --> 00:17:33,442
the rack.
380
00:17:33,443 --> 00:17:36,402
But now we have upcycled it
with a polished wooden surface
381
00:17:36,403 --> 00:17:38,230
and the promise that
you'll be taller.
382
00:17:38,231 --> 00:17:42,582
But it's literally
ripping your spine apart.
383
00:17:42,583 --> 00:17:44,192
People start
complaining.
384
00:17:44,193 --> 00:17:47,065
They're not getting taller,
but they are getting hurt.
385
00:17:47,066 --> 00:17:50,546
Amazingly, it goes
on to sell for 30 years.
386
00:17:50,547 --> 00:17:53,071
The pendiculator
doesn't meet its end
387
00:17:53,072 --> 00:17:54,637
by getting pulled
from the market.
388
00:17:54,638 --> 00:17:57,945
It's actually the US Post
Office that steps up to say,
389
00:17:57,946 --> 00:18:00,991
"This thing is so fraudulent,
we refuse to ship it."
390
00:18:00,992 --> 00:18:02,385
And that was it.
391
00:18:03,908 --> 00:18:05,170
So in the end,
392
00:18:05,171 --> 00:18:07,695
the pendiculator didn't
quite measure up.
393
00:18:11,786 --> 00:18:13,265
What do you do when
you're feeling tired?
394
00:18:13,266 --> 00:18:15,136
Reach for coffee
or an energy drink?
395
00:18:15,137 --> 00:18:18,313
You won't believe what
doctors used to prescribe
396
00:18:18,314 --> 00:18:19,794
for a quick pick-me-up.
397
00:18:21,491 --> 00:18:23,492
In the late 19th century,
Americans are tired.
398
00:18:23,493 --> 00:18:25,277
Industrial work is grueling.
399
00:18:25,278 --> 00:18:29,281
Nutrition is inconsistent,
and diseases like tuberculosis
400
00:18:29,282 --> 00:18:33,111
and anemia are all over the
place, people are run down.
401
00:18:33,112 --> 00:18:35,025
So doctors had
a little something
402
00:18:35,026 --> 00:18:36,984
that could put a little
pep in your step,
403
00:18:36,985 --> 00:18:39,421
and they called it strychnine.
404
00:18:39,422 --> 00:18:40,988
Now, you may have
heard of strychnine
405
00:18:40,989 --> 00:18:45,688
before because it's the thing
that we all use to kill rats.
406
00:18:45,689 --> 00:18:47,473
Does it help with
energy? I don't know.
407
00:18:47,474 --> 00:18:48,691
I'm not going to try it.
408
00:18:48,692 --> 00:18:50,780
Ultimately, it
doesn't help the rats.
409
00:18:50,781 --> 00:18:52,130
You ever seen a
rat on rat poison?
410
00:18:52,131 --> 00:18:54,654
They don't look very
energetic to me.
411
00:18:54,655 --> 00:18:57,265
But in the late 1800s,
it was used as a nerve stimulant
412
00:18:57,266 --> 00:19:01,182
and as a medicinal tonic
in very small doses.
413
00:19:01,183 --> 00:19:03,141
Advertisers promote
the drug
414
00:19:03,142 --> 00:19:05,360
as this kind of
cure-all du jour.
415
00:19:05,361 --> 00:19:08,015
Whatever you've
got, it can fix it.
416
00:19:08,016 --> 00:19:10,583
They say it'll
restore flagging strength,
417
00:19:10,584 --> 00:19:14,195
revive masculine vigor,
cure the despondent.
418
00:19:14,196 --> 00:19:16,066
It'll do everything.
419
00:19:16,067 --> 00:19:18,199
It's sold in
pharmacies across the country,
420
00:19:18,200 --> 00:19:19,418
and in some versions,
421
00:19:19,419 --> 00:19:21,768
they're in tiny little
chocolate morsels.
422
00:19:21,769 --> 00:19:25,032
It's like microdosing
before microdosing was popular.
423
00:19:25,033 --> 00:19:26,425
You could buy little pieces
424
00:19:26,426 --> 00:19:28,818
of it and just chew on
it throughout the day.
425
00:19:28,819 --> 00:19:30,907
But its
most memorable use
426
00:19:30,908 --> 00:19:35,085
is as a performance-enhancing
drug in the Olympics.
427
00:19:35,086 --> 00:19:36,565
In 1904,
428
00:19:36,566 --> 00:19:39,002
an Olympian named Thomas
Hicks is running the marathon.
429
00:19:39,003 --> 00:19:40,265
He collapses in the middle
430
00:19:40,266 --> 00:19:42,745
of it as a result
of his exhaustion.
431
00:19:42,746 --> 00:19:44,791
His trainers then
rush to the scene
432
00:19:44,792 --> 00:19:47,185
and give him a
formula of egg whites
433
00:19:47,186 --> 00:19:50,884
and Strychnine that
brings him back to health.
434
00:19:50,885 --> 00:19:54,235
Later, he gets a second
dose mixed with Brandy.
435
00:19:54,236 --> 00:19:55,802
What a treat.
436
00:19:55,803 --> 00:19:57,804
He does finish, Andy wins Gold,
437
00:19:57,805 --> 00:19:59,719
but it's not really
doping at the time.
438
00:19:59,720 --> 00:20:01,809
It was more like nutrition.
439
00:20:02,853 --> 00:20:04,419
This is a time
440
00:20:04,420 --> 00:20:08,684
when strychnine is even
considered safe enough for kids.
441
00:20:08,685 --> 00:20:11,165
In 1894, in a
newspaper column,
442
00:20:11,166 --> 00:20:13,776
someone writes in and says,
"Hey, my kid's lethargic.
443
00:20:13,777 --> 00:20:15,517
They just don't have as
much energy as they should.
444
00:20:15,518 --> 00:20:16,475
What should we do?"
445
00:20:16,476 --> 00:20:18,085
And the doctor said,
446
00:20:18,086 --> 00:20:19,782
"Oh, just give them a half
a teaspoon of strychnine
447
00:20:19,783 --> 00:20:21,306
before each meal."
448
00:20:21,307 --> 00:20:22,524
What?
449
00:20:22,525 --> 00:20:25,048
That's a ton of strychnine.
450
00:20:25,049 --> 00:20:26,441
I'm not a doctor.
451
00:20:26,442 --> 00:20:28,922
I haven't gone to any
fancy medical schools,
452
00:20:28,923 --> 00:20:32,621
but I do believe giving
children rat poison isn't good
453
00:20:32,622 --> 00:20:34,014
for them.
454
00:20:34,015 --> 00:20:36,190
In fact, the
line between therapeutic
455
00:20:36,191 --> 00:20:39,367
and toxic is razor thin.
456
00:20:39,368 --> 00:20:42,327
On one side, it
says dose, one tablet.
457
00:20:42,328 --> 00:20:45,026
And on the other
side, it says poison.
458
00:20:46,419 --> 00:20:48,289
Which one is it?
459
00:20:48,290 --> 00:20:50,160
Just a few milligrams
too much
460
00:20:50,161 --> 00:20:53,251
of strychnine will cause
your back to seize.
461
00:20:53,252 --> 00:20:54,730
Arch like a bow.
462
00:20:54,731 --> 00:20:57,908
It could cause asphyxiation,
seizures, and even death.
463
00:20:58,822 --> 00:21:00,475
As the 20th century goes
on,
464
00:21:00,476 --> 00:21:02,825
reports of accidental
strychnine overdoses
465
00:21:02,826 --> 00:21:04,610
are flooding the
medical journals.
466
00:21:04,611 --> 00:21:08,353
You've got imprecise measurement
in tonics leading to death.
467
00:21:08,354 --> 00:21:11,878
You've got children mistaking
chocolate-covered strychnine
468
00:21:11,879 --> 00:21:14,141
for candies and dying.
469
00:21:14,142 --> 00:21:15,882
It's a bad situation.
470
00:21:15,883 --> 00:21:18,711
It's not until 1962
that strychnine use
471
00:21:18,712 --> 00:21:20,887
on human beings is
completely banned.
472
00:21:20,888 --> 00:21:23,542
But if you want to charge
yourself up a little bit,
473
00:21:23,543 --> 00:21:25,021
that's right
474
00:21:25,022 --> 00:21:26,763
at about the time that
instant coffee takes off.
475
00:21:28,417 --> 00:21:31,680
Before American doctors
went crazy for strychnine,
476
00:21:31,681 --> 00:21:35,032
they went mad for an
equally curious remedy.
477
00:21:36,251 --> 00:21:38,078
In the 1800s, if
you went to the doctor
478
00:21:38,079 --> 00:21:40,254
for basically anything,
syphilis,
479
00:21:40,255 --> 00:21:42,778
gonorrhea, tuberculosis,
480
00:21:42,779 --> 00:21:44,780
a cold, you would probably leave
481
00:21:44,781 --> 00:21:47,522
with this small pill
called Blue Mass.
482
00:21:47,523 --> 00:21:49,394
Most of the
ingredients seem pretty
483
00:21:49,395 --> 00:21:52,614
harmless, licorice, rose
water, honey, sugar,
484
00:21:52,615 --> 00:21:54,921
but also something
called quicksilver.
485
00:21:54,922 --> 00:21:59,927
Quicksilver is like a jaunty
name for pure liquid mercury.
486
00:22:00,362 --> 00:22:01,667
At the time,
487
00:22:01,668 --> 00:22:04,887
they though mercury was
kind of like a cure-all.
488
00:22:04,888 --> 00:22:06,889
Mercury is this
mesmerizing,
489
00:22:06,890 --> 00:22:11,720
highly reflective liquid
that seems like it's magic.
490
00:22:11,721 --> 00:22:14,897
So it would make sense that
people would want to use it
491
00:22:14,898 --> 00:22:18,118
to cure things because magic
can do incredible things.
492
00:22:18,119 --> 00:22:20,468
Blue Mass
is used by everyone
493
00:22:20,469 --> 00:22:23,950
and anyone, including
future presidents.
494
00:22:23,951 --> 00:22:26,822
In 1841, Abraham Lincoln
starts taking the pills
495
00:22:26,823 --> 00:22:28,650
to manage melancholy.
496
00:22:28,651 --> 00:22:30,609
Today, we would call
that depression.
497
00:22:30,610 --> 00:22:32,959
Shortly after his
inauguration as president,
498
00:22:32,960 --> 00:22:36,266
he determines that these pills
are making him irritable.
499
00:22:36,267 --> 00:22:38,138
It is a little surprising
that it took him 20 years
500
00:22:38,139 --> 00:22:39,444
to figure this out.
501
00:22:39,445 --> 00:22:41,794
You know, he starts in
1841 and stops in 1861.
502
00:22:41,795 --> 00:22:43,796
Lincoln was
irrationally angry
503
00:22:43,797 --> 00:22:45,363
and having these mood swings.
504
00:22:45,364 --> 00:22:48,104
And when he stops taking these
pills, that's when he sort
505
00:22:48,105 --> 00:22:50,759
of settles into the character
that he's remembered for,
506
00:22:50,760 --> 00:22:53,283
patient and thoughtful
and contemplative.
507
00:22:53,284 --> 00:22:55,329
Is it a coincidence? Maybe.
508
00:22:55,330 --> 00:22:58,506
But mercury is known
to cause mood swings.
509
00:22:58,507 --> 00:23:01,857
Quicksilver also
causes bleeding gums, coughing,
510
00:23:01,858 --> 00:23:03,990
vomiting, and trouble breathing.
511
00:23:03,991 --> 00:23:06,688
But doctors at the time
take these symptoms
512
00:23:06,689 --> 00:23:10,170
as signs that the
medicine is working.
513
00:23:10,171 --> 00:23:13,695
What doctors though was
a therapeutic reaction
514
00:23:13,696 --> 00:23:16,132
to this medicine was
actually just early signs
515
00:23:16,133 --> 00:23:17,743
of mercury poisoning.
516
00:23:17,744 --> 00:23:19,179
The modern analysis
517
00:23:19,180 --> 00:23:22,791
of Blue Mass has revealed
that the doses of mercury
518
00:23:22,792 --> 00:23:27,840
in it were 9,000 times higher
than today's safe level.
519
00:23:27,841 --> 00:23:31,191
So people were getting
like real crazy hits
520
00:23:31,192 --> 00:23:32,889
of mercury back then.
521
00:23:33,760 --> 00:23:35,369
By the early 20th
century,
522
00:23:35,370 --> 00:23:38,416
doctors realized they were
wrong about this cure-all pill
523
00:23:38,417 --> 00:23:39,982
and Blue Mass goes away.
524
00:23:39,983 --> 00:23:41,593
It's just funny
525
00:23:41,594 --> 00:23:44,813
because the human body is the
most complicated organism.
526
00:23:44,814 --> 00:23:47,468
But the medical profession
at that time though,
527
00:23:47,469 --> 00:23:49,296
it's easy guys.
528
00:23:49,297 --> 00:23:52,126
We just need one pill.
Let's not complicate it.
529
00:23:54,215 --> 00:23:58,305
Turns out one of history's
favorite mood stabilizers
530
00:23:58,306 --> 00:23:59,829
was a little unstable.
531
00:24:03,877 --> 00:24:05,399
At the dawn of aviation,
532
00:24:05,400 --> 00:24:06,661
airplanes weren't
just thrilling.
533
00:24:06,662 --> 00:24:09,142
They were mysterious and
powerful and magical.
534
00:24:09,143 --> 00:24:11,666
And when something
new feels magical,
535
00:24:11,667 --> 00:24:14,756
people start to believe
it can do anything.
536
00:24:14,757 --> 00:24:17,499
Like maybe even curing the sick.
537
00:24:18,761 --> 00:24:21,371
After the Wright
Brother's famous flight in 1903,
538
00:24:21,372 --> 00:24:23,417
America becomes
obsessed with airplanes
539
00:24:23,418 --> 00:24:24,897
and airplane technology,
540
00:24:24,898 --> 00:24:28,291
the number of airplanes
grows exponentially.
541
00:24:28,292 --> 00:24:32,382
They're used for
agriculture, for transportation,
542
00:24:32,383 --> 00:24:34,864
for shipping, for warfare.
543
00:24:36,344 --> 00:24:37,649
Then a
story hits the news
544
00:24:37,650 --> 00:24:40,913
that seems almost impossible.
545
00:24:40,914 --> 00:24:44,482
A World War I veteran
named Henry Renz mysteriously
546
00:24:44,483 --> 00:24:46,092
loses the ability to speak.
547
00:24:46,093 --> 00:24:49,269
Doctors try every cure they can
think of, but nothing works.
548
00:24:49,270 --> 00:24:51,880
So after eight
months of all kinds of tests
549
00:24:51,881 --> 00:24:53,186
and coming up with nothing,
550
00:24:53,187 --> 00:24:55,449
he goes to the US
Public Health Service.
551
00:24:55,450 --> 00:24:56,929
And there,
552
00:24:56,930 --> 00:24:59,584
a doctor tells him that his
problem is psychological.
553
00:24:59,585 --> 00:25:03,023
What does he prescribe
as treatment? A plane ride.
554
00:25:04,154 --> 00:25:06,591
The fact that a
doctor could even think
555
00:25:06,592 --> 00:25:08,201
of using an airplane
556
00:25:08,202 --> 00:25:11,726
as a medicinal cure shows just
how novel they really were.
557
00:25:11,727 --> 00:25:14,686
People weren't sure what
planes could and couldn't do.
558
00:25:14,687 --> 00:25:16,253
So why not give it a try?
559
00:25:17,559 --> 00:25:19,647
His theory is that
if you take a patient thousands
560
00:25:19,648 --> 00:25:22,084
of feet in the air and you
do all these dramatic turns
561
00:25:22,085 --> 00:25:24,565
and you're in this different
sort of air pressure system,
562
00:25:24,566 --> 00:25:28,003
you will actually reset
their nervous system.
563
00:25:28,004 --> 00:25:30,963
Whether it was
psychological or physiological
564
00:25:30,964 --> 00:25:33,661
or merely a placebo
effect, when Renz lands,
565
00:25:33,662 --> 00:25:35,141
they ask him if he can talk
566
00:25:35,142 --> 00:25:38,318
and he says, "I don't know
whether I can talk or not."
567
00:25:38,319 --> 00:25:39,973
Which says everything.
568
00:25:41,452 --> 00:25:43,671
Newspapers spread
the story across the country
569
00:25:43,672 --> 00:25:46,979
and soon curative
flights start taking off.
570
00:25:46,980 --> 00:25:48,502
In 1922,
571
00:25:48,503 --> 00:25:50,417
a World War I veteran
by the name of
572
00:25:50,418 --> 00:25:52,593
Augustus S. Harris
573
00:25:52,594 --> 00:25:56,466
is dismissed from
a military hospital
574
00:25:56,467 --> 00:25:59,513
as being hopelessly deaf.
575
00:25:59,514 --> 00:26:01,254
Thinking that maybe
the changes in air pressure
576
00:26:01,255 --> 00:26:02,864
at high altitude can help,
577
00:26:02,865 --> 00:26:05,085
the American Legion
arranges a flight.
578
00:26:06,347 --> 00:26:10,437
The plane takes
Harris to 16,000 feet,
579
00:26:10,438 --> 00:26:14,920
and then suddenly he
regains his ability to hear.
580
00:26:14,921 --> 00:26:16,835
After word gets out
about Harris being cured
581
00:26:16,836 --> 00:26:18,401
by taking a flight,
582
00:26:18,402 --> 00:26:21,317
other pilots begin to offer
this deaf-curing service.
583
00:26:21,318 --> 00:26:24,756
Even well-known
pilots go along for the ride.
584
00:26:24,757 --> 00:26:26,671
In 1925, two years
585
00:26:26,672 --> 00:26:29,587
before his big flight, for $50,
586
00:26:29,588 --> 00:26:31,327
Charles Lindbergh
will take you up,
587
00:26:31,328 --> 00:26:33,373
spin you around 28 times.
588
00:26:33,374 --> 00:26:34,635
You might get sick,
589
00:26:34,636 --> 00:26:37,159
but his passengers
say that it does work.
590
00:26:37,160 --> 00:26:38,900
But these
miracle flights come
591
00:26:38,901 --> 00:26:40,468
with multiple risks.
592
00:26:41,295 --> 00:26:42,643
These pilots are
using
593
00:26:42,644 --> 00:26:44,906
these decommissioned
World War I planes,
594
00:26:44,907 --> 00:26:46,560
and some of them
have been in combat
595
00:26:46,561 --> 00:26:48,475
and they're really
beat up and old,
596
00:26:48,476 --> 00:26:50,999
and now they're pushing
them to their limits.
597
00:26:51,000 --> 00:26:54,481
Doing crazy vertical
dives and corkscrew turns
598
00:26:54,482 --> 00:26:56,136
and loopty loops.
599
00:26:56,223 --> 00:27:00,618
In 1930, the wing of a
plane that is flying comes off.
600
00:27:00,619 --> 00:27:03,359
The plane crashes into a
swamp, kills the pilot,
601
00:27:03,360 --> 00:27:05,753
and the person that
was hoping for a cure.
602
00:27:05,754 --> 00:27:07,799
Another deaf flight in
Massachusetts results
603
00:27:07,800 --> 00:27:09,453
in the deaths of three people.
604
00:27:11,934 --> 00:27:15,111
Eventually, science
and common sense catch up.
605
00:27:16,460 --> 00:27:19,680
By the late 1920s, medical
journals debunked the treatment,
606
00:27:19,681 --> 00:27:22,988
and these flights are
ultimately grounded.
607
00:27:22,989 --> 00:27:24,685
Whatever the reason
these people got better,
608
00:27:24,686 --> 00:27:25,991
who knows?
609
00:27:25,992 --> 00:27:28,167
But it definitely wasn't
the plane ride itself.
610
00:27:28,168 --> 00:27:30,952
Doctors ultimately realized
that if it did anything,
611
00:27:30,953 --> 00:27:32,650
it should have made
them much worse.
612
00:27:32,651 --> 00:27:34,173
Rapid changes in air
pressure
613
00:27:34,174 --> 00:27:36,697
and the noise of loud
engines is much more likely
614
00:27:36,698 --> 00:27:39,527
to damage your hearing
than to heal it.
615
00:27:41,834 --> 00:27:44,966
At the same time Americans
are fascinated by flight,
616
00:27:44,967 --> 00:27:50,058
they're also obsessed with
another new wonder, electricity.
617
00:27:50,059 --> 00:27:53,715
But some people took that
obsession a little too far.
618
00:27:54,977 --> 00:27:56,630
At the beginning
of the 20th century,
619
00:27:56,631 --> 00:28:00,634
electricity is transforming
every facet of American life.
620
00:28:00,635 --> 00:28:04,639
Streetlights glow, homes
hum with appliances,
621
00:28:04,726 --> 00:28:07,119
and factories roar to life.
622
00:28:07,120 --> 00:28:09,295
As people see all the
things that electricity can do,
623
00:28:09,296 --> 00:28:10,688
some begin to wonder,
624
00:28:10,689 --> 00:28:13,125
can we use electricity
to improve our health?
625
00:28:13,126 --> 00:28:15,693
So several
enterprising companies come up
626
00:28:15,694 --> 00:28:19,872
with a device called the
Violet Ray Generator.
627
00:28:21,308 --> 00:28:23,309
This is a handheld
device that channels high
628
00:28:23,310 --> 00:28:25,746
voltage through a glass tube
filled with gas.
629
00:28:25,747 --> 00:28:27,792
When activated, it glows purple,
630
00:28:27,793 --> 00:28:31,012
hence the name
Violet Ray Generator.
631
00:28:31,013 --> 00:28:33,493
And the manufacturers
claim that it can treat up
632
00:28:33,494 --> 00:28:35,451
to 80 different conditions.
633
00:28:35,452 --> 00:28:39,412
We're talking asthma,
headaches, dandruff, wrinkles,
634
00:28:39,413 --> 00:28:41,022
and even hemorrhoids.
635
00:28:41,023 --> 00:28:42,677
This thing sounds
like a miracle.
636
00:28:43,896 --> 00:28:46,332
Doctors endorse it.
Dentists are using it.
637
00:28:46,333 --> 00:28:48,203
Consumers are buying it.
638
00:28:48,204 --> 00:28:52,599
Everybody is now smitten
with this new technology.
639
00:28:52,600 --> 00:28:54,209
When you're using
them and rubbing them all
640
00:28:54,210 --> 00:28:55,820
over your body,
641
00:28:55,821 --> 00:28:58,344
they're creating these
beautiful purple arcs of light.
642
00:28:58,345 --> 00:29:00,912
But what people don't realize
is that it can generate tens
643
00:29:00,913 --> 00:29:03,175
of thousands of volts.
644
00:29:03,176 --> 00:29:05,568
Some of them
generate 50,000 volts.
645
00:29:05,569 --> 00:29:07,528
That's the same as a stun gun. .
646
00:29:07,746 --> 00:29:09,921
If you don't use it right,
you could suffer burns,
647
00:29:09,922 --> 00:29:12,314
electrical shocks, other
electrical injuries.
648
00:29:12,315 --> 00:29:14,490
It's really dangerous.
649
00:29:14,491 --> 00:29:18,146
Prolonged exposure
can absolutely damage your
650
00:29:18,147 --> 00:29:19,931
tissue and worsen the condition
that you're trying
651
00:29:19,932 --> 00:29:21,323
to treat in the first place.
652
00:29:21,324 --> 00:29:24,718
If people are using this
to treat hemorrhoids,
653
00:29:24,719 --> 00:29:27,721
you can end up with some
interesting situations here.
654
00:29:27,722 --> 00:29:29,244
But the
most interesting thing
655
00:29:29,245 --> 00:29:31,290
about the violet ray generator
656
00:29:31,291 --> 00:29:33,988
is even more shocking
than electricity.
657
00:29:33,989 --> 00:29:36,164
The device also
generates ozone,
658
00:29:36,165 --> 00:29:39,341
which manufacturers claim
has antibacterial properties,
659
00:29:39,342 --> 00:29:41,169
but is toxic.
660
00:29:41,170 --> 00:29:45,217
Ozone is O3, meaning
three oxygen atoms combined
661
00:29:45,218 --> 00:29:46,740
into a molecule
rather than just two,
662
00:29:46,741 --> 00:29:48,220
which is what we breathe.
663
00:29:48,221 --> 00:29:51,614
And that third oxygen, that
sucker is highly reactive.
664
00:29:51,615 --> 00:29:54,617
Short-term exposure
to ozone triggers asthma,
665
00:29:54,618 --> 00:29:56,445
and long-term exposure can lead
666
00:29:56,446 --> 00:29:59,361
to chronic respiratory
failure and even death.
667
00:29:59,362 --> 00:30:01,320
It's one thing to
emit ozone,
668
00:30:01,321 --> 00:30:04,410
but the violet ray generator
actually had an ozone setting
669
00:30:04,411 --> 00:30:07,326
to treat lung disease
of all things.
670
00:30:07,327 --> 00:30:10,503
By the late '40s,
the FDA has seen enough
671
00:30:10,504 --> 00:30:12,418
and it files multiple lawsuits
672
00:30:12,419 --> 00:30:15,117
and ultimately the government
bans them completely.
673
00:30:17,903 --> 00:30:20,992
Before it went away, it was
a product that burned bright
674
00:30:20,993 --> 00:30:24,735
for decades and people
had the scars to prove it.
675
00:30:28,739 --> 00:30:30,392
Back in the day, moms
had a cure for everything,
676
00:30:30,393 --> 00:30:32,655
but one popular cold remedy came
677
00:30:32,656 --> 00:30:35,703
with a little more kick
than anyone expected.
678
00:30:37,052 --> 00:30:39,488
In the early 1930s,
when Americans get a cold,
679
00:30:39,489 --> 00:30:41,316
their options aren't very good.
680
00:30:41,317 --> 00:30:43,057
Most people just
suffer through the cold
681
00:30:43,058 --> 00:30:44,451
without any treatment at all.
682
00:30:45,495 --> 00:30:47,322
Then in 1932,
683
00:30:47,323 --> 00:30:49,934
an American pharmaceutical
company introduces
684
00:30:49,935 --> 00:30:52,284
an over-the-counter
cure that's small,
685
00:30:52,285 --> 00:30:53,981
sleek, and revolutionary.
686
00:30:53,982 --> 00:30:56,636
The Benzedrine inhaler.
687
00:30:56,637 --> 00:30:59,030
It's a little tube
that fits in your pocket,
688
00:30:59,031 --> 00:31:00,466
and you just inhale it
through your nostrils,
689
00:31:00,467 --> 00:31:03,686
and it clears your
sinuses in seconds.
690
00:31:03,687 --> 00:31:06,733
Doctors love them,
drugstores stock them
691
00:31:06,734 --> 00:31:08,430
everywhere and by the late 30s,
692
00:31:08,431 --> 00:31:10,999
they are a household staple
with millions sold every year.
693
00:31:12,261 --> 00:31:14,523
But they come
with a dirty little secret.
694
00:31:14,524 --> 00:31:15,829
If you use it
properly, it opens up your
695
00:31:15,830 --> 00:31:17,744
nasal passages.
696
00:31:17,745 --> 00:31:22,750
But if you break it open,
you can get super duper high.
697
00:31:24,186 --> 00:31:28,015
Inside of it was
200 to 300 milligrams
698
00:31:28,016 --> 00:31:29,974
of amphetamine.
699
00:31:29,975 --> 00:31:31,497
And you don't
need a prescription.
700
00:31:31,498 --> 00:31:33,412
You can just go to
the corner drugstore
701
00:31:33,413 --> 00:31:35,631
and get a massive dose of speed.
702
00:31:35,632 --> 00:31:37,155
And while you're at it,
703
00:31:37,156 --> 00:31:39,722
top it off with a milkshake
at the soda fountain.
704
00:31:39,723 --> 00:31:42,508
If you suck on the
cotton swab that's inside of it,
705
00:31:42,509 --> 00:31:43,813
you get the equivalent
706
00:31:43,814 --> 00:31:47,556
of 40 Adderall coursing
through your system.
707
00:31:47,557 --> 00:31:49,819
They keep stuff like
this behind the pharmacy counter
708
00:31:49,820 --> 00:31:51,473
today because if you
buy enough of it,
709
00:31:51,474 --> 00:31:54,172
you can actually
manufacture methamphetamine.
710
00:31:54,173 --> 00:31:56,914
But back in the 30s and
40s, sky's the limit.
711
00:31:56,915 --> 00:31:58,220
Buy all you want.
712
00:31:59,961 --> 00:32:03,181
There's lots of groups
that immediately get into it.
713
00:32:03,182 --> 00:32:06,706
Students who want to stay
awake, to cram for tests,
714
00:32:06,707 --> 00:32:10,318
truck drivers who need
to do a long haul.
715
00:32:10,319 --> 00:32:12,538
There's musicians who
want to just be able
716
00:32:12,539 --> 00:32:16,194
to riff all night
long on the stage.
717
00:32:16,195 --> 00:32:18,848
Jazz legend Charlie
Bird Parker allegedly is
718
00:32:18,849 --> 00:32:21,112
cracking so many inhalers
during his performances
719
00:32:21,113 --> 00:32:24,158
that his stage starts to
look like it just snowed.
720
00:32:24,159 --> 00:32:29,164
It was a massive sales
hit, but it was dangerous.
721
00:32:30,296 --> 00:32:31,600
The stuff is so
potent that militaries
722
00:32:31,601 --> 00:32:33,428
on both sides give
it to their spies
723
00:32:33,429 --> 00:32:36,040
and soldiers to keep them awake
and alert in World War II.
724
00:32:36,041 --> 00:32:37,650
Problem is,
725
00:32:37,651 --> 00:32:41,175
soldiers are coming back from
the war addicted to Bennys.
726
00:32:41,176 --> 00:32:43,917
The overuse of
Benzedrine leads to insomnia,
727
00:32:43,918 --> 00:32:45,658
paranoia.
728
00:32:45,659 --> 00:32:50,664
hallucinations, seizures,
and in some cases, death.
729
00:32:51,970 --> 00:32:53,187
By the late '40s, it's
become rampantly clear
730
00:32:53,188 --> 00:32:55,189
that addiction is
a huge problem.
731
00:32:55,190 --> 00:32:56,886
One newspaper puts it perfectly.
732
00:32:56,887 --> 00:33:01,065
They say Benzedrine
inhalers start dope craze.
733
00:33:01,066 --> 00:33:03,067
The proper thing to do
is to just take this thing
734
00:33:03,068 --> 00:33:04,807
off the shelf, but
there's no profits there,
735
00:33:04,808 --> 00:33:06,244
so the company's not
going to do that.
736
00:33:06,245 --> 00:33:08,159
So they decide to monkey
with it a little bit
737
00:33:08,160 --> 00:33:09,812
and they put dye inside.
738
00:33:09,813 --> 00:33:13,077
So if you do rip it open, use
it, your mouth gets all black
739
00:33:13,078 --> 00:33:14,904
and everybody knows
what you're doing.
740
00:33:14,905 --> 00:33:18,865
They also try to deter the
abusers by adding capsaicin.
741
00:33:18,866 --> 00:33:21,215
That's the stuff that
makes hot peppers hot.
742
00:33:21,216 --> 00:33:23,130
The problem is
people who are using it
743
00:33:23,131 --> 00:33:25,872
for the right reasons
also dealt with that.
744
00:33:25,873 --> 00:33:27,961
Imagine, you're all
congested.
745
00:33:27,962 --> 00:33:30,224
Your eyes are watery,
your nose is stuffy.
746
00:33:30,225 --> 00:33:31,834
The last thing
you want is a shot
747
00:33:31,835 --> 00:33:34,011
of hot pepper up your nose.
748
00:33:34,012 --> 00:33:36,230
But none of these
measures work.
749
00:33:36,231 --> 00:33:38,624
So by 1959, the FDA steps in
750
00:33:38,625 --> 00:33:43,020
and says Benzedrine inhalers
are prescription only.
751
00:33:43,021 --> 00:33:46,197
And a decade later,
Benzedrine itself gets labeled
752
00:33:46,198 --> 00:33:47,720
as a controlled substance.
753
00:33:47,721 --> 00:33:49,591
And just like that,
754
00:33:49,592 --> 00:33:52,508
people who have a cold
are left out in the cold.
755
00:33:54,032 --> 00:33:56,685
When one miracle
cure disappears,
756
00:33:56,686 --> 00:33:59,514
it leaves an opening in
the market for a new one.
757
00:33:59,515 --> 00:34:03,170
In the 1970s, if your
allergies wouldn't go away,
758
00:34:03,171 --> 00:34:06,914
some doctors had a
more personal solution.
759
00:34:08,089 --> 00:34:10,003
Back in the 1970s,
if you had allergies,
760
00:34:10,004 --> 00:34:11,831
you would be treated
with an antihistamine,
761
00:34:11,832 --> 00:34:14,312
but they caused drowsiness.
762
00:34:14,313 --> 00:34:16,575
The type of drowsiness that
would put you out of action.
763
00:34:16,576 --> 00:34:18,577
So people start
looking for alternatives,
764
00:34:18,578 --> 00:34:22,189
but what they find isn't
sold in drugstores.
765
00:34:22,190 --> 00:34:23,278
It's urine.
766
00:34:25,106 --> 00:34:27,107
Dr. George R. Burrell runs
767
00:34:27,108 --> 00:34:29,979
the allergy control
medical clinics.
768
00:34:29,980 --> 00:34:31,503
They're based in
Southern California
769
00:34:31,504 --> 00:34:35,376
and they're working on something
called autoimmune therapy.
770
00:34:35,377 --> 00:34:38,075
Don't worry, patients
are not drinking the urine.
771
00:34:38,076 --> 00:34:40,642
Dr. Burrell has a better idea.
772
00:34:40,643 --> 00:34:44,037
You don't drink
liquids for 12 hours.
773
00:34:44,038 --> 00:34:46,561
You're then exposed
to an allergen.
774
00:34:46,562 --> 00:34:48,694
You then provide a urine sample.
775
00:34:48,695 --> 00:34:50,478
The urine sample is
taken by the clinic
776
00:34:50,479 --> 00:34:52,219
and it's put
through a centrifuge
777
00:34:52,220 --> 00:34:54,222
and then injected
back into your body.
778
00:34:55,528 --> 00:34:58,008
That's right. You get
injected with your own pee.
779
00:34:59,097 --> 00:35:01,533
I mean, my first
thought is that someone
780
00:35:01,534 --> 00:35:03,535
had had a little
too much to drink
781
00:35:03,536 --> 00:35:04,840
and they were like,
782
00:35:04,841 --> 00:35:08,366
"You know, I bet your
pee could heal you."
783
00:35:08,367 --> 00:35:11,108
And they're like,
"You wouldn't dare."
784
00:35:11,109 --> 00:35:12,370
You would think with
all
785
00:35:12,371 --> 00:35:15,416
of the ridiculous
cure-alls we've had
786
00:35:15,417 --> 00:35:18,289
throughout human history,
we'd be done with that.
787
00:35:18,290 --> 00:35:20,769
But it just keeps happening.
788
00:35:20,770 --> 00:35:23,511
The theory is that
the antibodies created
789
00:35:23,512 --> 00:35:27,907
inside you when you were
subjected to your allergens
790
00:35:27,908 --> 00:35:32,825
is basically then
resubmitted into your body.
791
00:35:32,826 --> 00:35:35,349
So it's almost like your
own little mini vaccine
792
00:35:35,350 --> 00:35:37,351
to help you fight
those allergies
793
00:35:37,352 --> 00:35:40,224
and over time overcome them.
794
00:35:40,225 --> 00:35:42,139
When you say it out
loud, you go, "Oh,
795
00:35:42,140 --> 00:35:45,054
that kind of makes sense," but
then when you think about it,
796
00:35:45,055 --> 00:35:49,233
you're like, "So my
pee will cure me?"
797
00:35:49,234 --> 00:35:51,322
That's a tough sell.
798
00:35:51,323 --> 00:35:53,019
Although unconventional,
799
00:35:53,020 --> 00:35:54,629
it seems to work.
800
00:35:54,630 --> 00:35:56,892
Newspapers began
running testimonials
801
00:35:56,893 --> 00:35:58,242
and they're singing its praises.
802
00:35:58,243 --> 00:35:59,939
It has helped with
their hay fever,
803
00:35:59,940 --> 00:36:01,941
their asthma, their eczema.
804
00:36:01,942 --> 00:36:03,464
It has even relieved headaches,
805
00:36:03,465 --> 00:36:05,553
and they make it sound
like urine therapy
806
00:36:05,554 --> 00:36:07,207
is the best thing ever.
807
00:36:07,208 --> 00:36:10,558
It would be great
if your own waste could become
808
00:36:10,559 --> 00:36:14,693
your own cure, but it's
a cure with a catch.
809
00:36:14,694 --> 00:36:16,173
There are so many problems
810
00:36:16,174 --> 00:36:19,263
with injecting your own
urine back into your body.
811
00:36:19,264 --> 00:36:21,178
Urine is what your
body has already decided to get
812
00:36:21,179 --> 00:36:23,136
rid of.
813
00:36:23,137 --> 00:36:25,486
It contains urea and ammonia
814
00:36:25,487 --> 00:36:29,403
and just all kinds of
concentrated waste products.
815
00:36:29,404 --> 00:36:32,189
Injecting it back into the
body forces your kidneys
816
00:36:32,190 --> 00:36:34,365
to filter it all over again,
817
00:36:34,366 --> 00:36:37,716
leading to dehydration
and kidney stress.
818
00:36:37,717 --> 00:36:41,589
In 1976, a committee
of doctors investigate this
819
00:36:41,590 --> 00:36:42,851
clinic and they find no evidence
820
00:36:42,852 --> 00:36:44,636
that these treatments
actually work.
821
00:36:44,637 --> 00:36:46,420
There seems to be
something about the culture
822
00:36:46,421 --> 00:36:48,727
of the '70s where people
were a little fast
823
00:36:48,728 --> 00:36:50,991
and loose with their own health.
824
00:36:52,906 --> 00:36:56,518
Let's just say that treatment
didn't exactly hold water.
825
00:37:00,827 --> 00:37:02,480
There was a time
when Americans believed
826
00:37:02,481 --> 00:37:05,526
the stronger the treatment,
the better the results.
827
00:37:05,527 --> 00:37:07,920
And one doctor took
that philosophy
828
00:37:07,921 --> 00:37:11,445
to truly thunderous extremes.
829
00:37:11,446 --> 00:37:13,926
In 1793 in
Philadelphia,
830
00:37:13,927 --> 00:37:16,058
there is this sense of
promise and hopefulness.
831
00:37:16,059 --> 00:37:17,146
America has waged its
832
00:37:17,147 --> 00:37:19,236
revolutionary
war against Britain.
833
00:37:19,237 --> 00:37:22,195
Now the Constitution, the Bill
of Rights, it's all ratified.
834
00:37:22,196 --> 00:37:24,153
This is literally a moment
835
00:37:24,154 --> 00:37:26,417
that a new nation
has just been born.
836
00:37:26,418 --> 00:37:27,941
And then yellow fever strikes.
837
00:37:30,378 --> 00:37:33,554
Yellow fever is known
as the American plague.
838
00:37:33,555 --> 00:37:36,731
What begins with flu-like
symptoms soon spreads
839
00:37:36,732 --> 00:37:39,908
throughout the body,
causing organ failure
840
00:37:39,909 --> 00:37:43,085
and yellowy, sallow
skin and eyes.
841
00:37:43,086 --> 00:37:45,305
And it gives the fever its name.
842
00:37:45,306 --> 00:37:49,048
When the outbreak starts,
almost half the city flees,
843
00:37:49,049 --> 00:37:52,660
including Alexander Hamilton
and George Washington.
844
00:37:52,661 --> 00:37:54,183
But one of
Philadelphia's most
845
00:37:54,184 --> 00:37:57,186
respected doctors stays behind,
846
00:37:57,187 --> 00:38:00,190
believing he's the one
who can deliver a cure.
847
00:38:01,627 --> 00:38:03,976
Dr. Benjamin Rush
is kind of a big deal.
848
00:38:03,977 --> 00:38:06,195
He's a signer of the
Declaration of Independence,
849
00:38:06,196 --> 00:38:09,198
and he's one of the country's
most famous doctors.
850
00:38:09,199 --> 00:38:11,723
In a time when a
person can be a doctor just
851
00:38:11,724 --> 00:38:15,335
by calling themselves a
doctor, he's a real doctor.
852
00:38:15,336 --> 00:38:18,034
He's attended one of the best
medical schools in Europe.
853
00:38:19,340 --> 00:38:21,254
Like a lot of
doctors at the time,
854
00:38:21,255 --> 00:38:23,517
he believes that the
human body is composed
855
00:38:23,518 --> 00:38:26,172
of four fluids
called the humors.
856
00:38:26,173 --> 00:38:29,436
Black bile, yellow
bile, blood, and phlegm.
857
00:38:29,437 --> 00:38:31,264
If there is a disease,
858
00:38:31,265 --> 00:38:35,008
then it comes from a problem
with one of these four fluids.
859
00:38:36,096 --> 00:38:37,792
So the trick is to
figure out which one
860
00:38:37,793 --> 00:38:41,318
of these four humors is out of
balance and then to purge it.
861
00:38:41,319 --> 00:38:44,451
But Dr. Rush
thinks purging one humor
862
00:38:44,452 --> 00:38:46,105
is not enough.
863
00:38:46,106 --> 00:38:47,846
Dr. Rush is a maximalist.
864
00:38:47,847 --> 00:38:50,588
He believes that if a little
purging is good for you,
865
00:38:50,589 --> 00:38:52,416
a lot is really good for you.
866
00:38:52,417 --> 00:38:53,895
So he creates his own tablets
867
00:38:53,896 --> 00:38:57,377
called Dr. Rush's Bilious Pills.
868
00:38:57,378 --> 00:39:00,989
These things contain
laxatives 10 times stronger
869
00:39:00,990 --> 00:39:03,296
than anything else
on the market.
870
00:39:03,297 --> 00:39:05,298
And as if that's
not extreme enough,
871
00:39:05,299 --> 00:39:08,302
there's a little mercury to
get things moving on both ends.
872
00:39:09,521 --> 00:39:13,437
They cause profuse
sweating, intense vomiting,
873
00:39:13,438 --> 00:39:18,399
extreme diarrhea, and enough
drool to fill a bucket.
874
00:39:19,618 --> 00:39:21,358
These pills don't
just move things along.
875
00:39:21,359 --> 00:39:24,709
They launch them
from every direction.
876
00:39:24,710 --> 00:39:26,450
You've heard of
extra strength pills?
877
00:39:26,451 --> 00:39:30,192
This is super maximum extra,
extra, extra strength.
878
00:39:30,193 --> 00:39:32,369
It basically takes
the colon,
879
00:39:32,370 --> 00:39:34,283
which ordinarily
moves at a trot,
880
00:39:34,284 --> 00:39:37,025
and turns it up
to a full gallop.
881
00:39:37,026 --> 00:39:41,639
Anything that's in you is
going to come out and fast.
882
00:39:41,640 --> 00:39:46,034
Patients say the results of
the pills are so explosive,
883
00:39:46,035 --> 00:39:47,993
they resemble thunder.
884
00:39:47,994 --> 00:39:50,865
So they get the nickname
thunderclappers.
885
00:39:50,866 --> 00:39:54,173
And the results
are deadly serious.
886
00:39:54,174 --> 00:39:56,915
If you're already
suffering from yellow fever,
887
00:39:56,916 --> 00:39:59,221
you likely are dehydrated,
888
00:39:59,222 --> 00:40:00,919
and then all of a sudden
you're doing these things
889
00:40:00,920 --> 00:40:03,225
that are making you
more dehydrated.
890
00:40:03,226 --> 00:40:04,749
You're getting
electrolyte issues.
891
00:40:04,750 --> 00:40:06,707
You go into kidney failure,
892
00:40:06,708 --> 00:40:10,711
and ultimately the likelihood
of dying skyrockets.
893
00:40:10,712 --> 00:40:13,410
It's absolutely crazy
to think that the effects
894
00:40:13,411 --> 00:40:15,455
of these pills are so extreme
895
00:40:15,456 --> 00:40:17,239
that they would
likely kill you way
896
00:40:17,240 --> 00:40:19,938
before the mercury
poisoning could.
897
00:40:19,939 --> 00:40:22,680
Benjamin Rush's
patients end up being four times
898
00:40:22,681 --> 00:40:25,813
more likely to die from yellow
fever than anyone else.
899
00:40:25,814 --> 00:40:28,425
And yet, his
pills remain on the market
900
00:40:28,426 --> 00:40:30,514
until the 1940s.
901
00:40:30,515 --> 00:40:33,604
And we're still finding
traces of them today.
902
00:40:33,605 --> 00:40:36,955
In 1804, Dr. Rush
equips the Lewis
903
00:40:36,956 --> 00:40:41,307
and Clark Expedition with nearly
five dozen thunderclappers,
904
00:40:41,308 --> 00:40:43,831
and they take them prolifically.
905
00:40:43,832 --> 00:40:45,659
This probably was
not so good for them,
906
00:40:45,660 --> 00:40:47,879
but it's very good for
modern historical research.
907
00:40:47,880 --> 00:40:49,620
We're able to retrace their path
908
00:40:49,621 --> 00:40:51,622
because every time
they took these pills
909
00:40:51,623 --> 00:40:52,797
and went to the bathroom,
910
00:40:52,798 --> 00:40:55,626
they would be excreting
mercury deposits.
911
00:40:55,627 --> 00:40:58,629
A lot of it ends up
in the latrine holes
912
00:40:58,630 --> 00:41:00,282
that they make
throughout the journey.
913
00:41:00,283 --> 00:41:01,719
200 years later,
914
00:41:01,720 --> 00:41:05,157
archeologists are excavating
a latrine in Montana.
915
00:41:05,158 --> 00:41:08,160
And what they discover is
it has way more mercury
916
00:41:08,161 --> 00:41:09,640
than in the surrounding soil.
917
00:41:09,641 --> 00:41:13,165
So thanks to Dr. Rush
and his thunderclappers,
918
00:41:13,166 --> 00:41:15,689
we can definitively say Lewis
919
00:41:15,690 --> 00:41:16,909
and Clark were here.
920
00:41:18,084 --> 00:41:20,085
Looking back at
the cures we trusted,
921
00:41:20,086 --> 00:41:22,914
whether it was snake oil
or electric generators,
922
00:41:22,915 --> 00:41:25,786
or a little strychnine to
get us through the day,
923
00:41:25,787 --> 00:41:29,137
some of our remedies may
have been hard to swallow,
924
00:41:29,138 --> 00:41:32,706
but hope has always
been powerful medicine.
925
00:41:32,707 --> 00:41:36,144
And that's why our
hazardous history was just
926
00:41:36,145 --> 00:41:37,451
what the doctor ordered.