I suspect the creator of Kidney Gin was the same A. Bauer of Chicago
that made Pineapple Rock and Rye, clearly in the whiskey family (Wilson and
Wilson, "Spirits Bottles of the Old West," 19th Century Hobby and Publishing
Company, Eau Gallie, Florida, 1968, pp. 29-30. This affiliates Bauer with
the alcoholic beverage industry. I suspect that Bauer and Company's Kidney
Gin was advertized and used both as an alcoholic beverage and as a medicinal
whiskey, in much the same way as many of the strongly alcoholic bitters,
such as Drake's Plantation Bitters and Hostetter's Bitters. The 1865 U.S.
Dispensatory lists Whisky or "Spiritus Frumenti" as a product for medicinal
use (Wood and Bache, U.S. Dispensatory, 12th Edition, 1865). Medicinal
whiskey is also listed in "The Pharmacopoeia of the United States, 12th Ed.,
1907, in the same way. The connection to kidney ailments is that alcoholic
beverages are strong diuretics, and diuretics have long been used to treat
kidney ailments (See for example, A. Emil Hiss, "The International
Formulary, Vol. II: Domestic and Veterinary Remedies", G. P. Engelhard and
Co., Chicago, 1909).
Allen Vegotsky
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-----Original Message-----
From: Sean Dunham <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Tuesday, June 04, 2002 11:54 AM
Subject: Kidney Gin
>Hello,
>
>A bottle was recovered from a early twentieth century logging camp that
>was marked "Kidney Gin" on one panel and "A. Bauer & Co/Chicago" on the
>other. Aside from learning that Bauer & Co may have been involved with
>pharmaceuticals, I have not been able to track down any useful
>information. One thing I am particularly curious about is whether
>Kidney Gin was a brand name for alcohol (gin) or a patent medicine. Any
>information on the topic would be much appreciated.
>
>Thanks,
>
>Sean Dunham
>Commonwealth Cultural Resources Group, Inc.
>
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