In a message dated 6/6/2000 11:55:02 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

<<   I am doing some research on patent medicines found at an urban site
 in Columbus, Georgia.  Although I have checked through a number of bottle
 references, I could find only limited information on the following bottles:
 Darby's Prophylactic Fluid, Dr. Dickey's Eye Water, Dodson's Liver-tone,
 Gude's Peptomangan, Dr. Hood's Eureka Liver Medicine, Taylor's Sweet Gum and
 Mullein.  The information I am looking for includes dates of manufacture,
 historical data, actual contents of the products, advertising.  Taylor's
 Sweet Gum and Mullein was claimed to be a Cherokee remedy and I would love
 to find documentation to prove or disprove this claim.

 Allen Vegotsky
 [log in to unmask]
  >>


Allen-- I can't help much on patent medicines, but would point out that
Mullein is  widely used in folk medicine, among whites, blacks, and indians
in the Southeast. There are numerous references to both sweet gum and mullein
in the WPA slave narratives--only one tying sweet gum and mullein, however:

Collins, Harriet -- Additional Interview Interviews with Harriet Collins,
McLennan County, Texas.

"In hog killin' time us allers saved de hog hoofs an' made er tea outten dem
w'en de chilluns er enyboddy git er cold. Den pine top tea, sweetened wid
honey is good fer er cold an' tea made wid sweet gum balls is good. Mullein
leaves is shore good medicine fer colds. Make a tea ob hit or wear hit in de
shoes; tea from pine straw is good too."


By the way, the WPA slave narratives are available on CD through Ancestry.com
This is an excellent resource! Well put together, and searchable by word,
place, and name. Anyone doing historical archaeology in the southeast would
be well served in obtaining a copy. They are about $35.

Carl Steen
not a stockholder or employee of Ancestry.com