Why Were The Good Ol' Days, The Good Ol' Days?

My friend Dorothy sent this to me ... what she sends me is usually fun, sometimes heart-wrenching, always entertaining and interesting.

The email today was especially interesting for me because of the advertising ephemera and the tins and bottles. Oh, how I'd love to have some of these original papers!

Enjoy!

xo Karen

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So, why *were* our grandparents so happy? Where did all these 'fond memories' of their youth come from? Those carefree childhood days? Have you ever stopped to wonder if there was something else at play than just an idyllic youth? These products, commonly used and found in most homes, may be the answer.

Before settling on baby aspirin, Bayer manufactured this ~ 

Friedrick Bayer & Co. sold “Heroin” between 1890 and 1910 heroin as a non-addictive substitute for morphine. It was also used to treat children suffering with a strong cough.

Metcalf's Coca Wine was one of a huge variety of wines with cocaine that was at your market, available to everyone, everyday. The press about the product was that it would make you happy and it also worked as a “medicinal treatment”.

From 1875, Mariani Wine was *the* most famous coca wine of it's time. Pope Leo XIII carried a bottle with him all the time and, in gratitude, the Pope awarded Angelo Mariani with a Vatican gold medal.

Maltine ~ Produced by the Maltine Manufacturing Company of New York. It was suggested in their advertising that you should take a full glass with or after every meal. … but children should only take half a glass.

Drug companies have long practiced promoting their product via gifts to doctors’ offices ~ this is a paper weight promoting C.F. Boehringer & Soehne in Mannheim, Germany, the world’s largest producers of products containing quinine and cocaine.

Many products were to treat legitimate illnesses. “Vapor-Ol Treatment No. 6” was for the treatment of asthma. At 40% alcohol content plus 3 grams of opium per tablet, it didn't cure you. But, hey, you didn't really care ...

Cocaine Tablets, c. 1900, a French product, was particularly enjoyed by stage actors, singers, teachers, and preachers. Said to allow for ‘maximum performance’ and to 'smooth' the voice.

And we mustn’t forget the children! Cocaine drops for toothaches was very popular remedy around 1885. Not only did they relieve the pain, they made the children very happy!

And for the newborns, as well. Stickney and Poor’s ‘Pure Paregoric’, with opium as well as being 46% alcohol, it was sure to make Baby sleep well.

It's no wonder they were called, 'The Good Old Days'!! From cradle to grave... everyone was stoned!