Case 122 -- | Lash's Bitters: Biochemical Analysis |
SOME GENERAL DEFINITIONS
Bitters: | A medicine composed of water, alcohol and bad tasting or "bitter" herbs. Most were produced between 1860 and 1905, over 1,000 types are known to exist.
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Balsam: | Medicine made from resins gathered from the Balsam trees of South andv Central America. Balsam had expectorant activity and so was used to treat pulmonary diseases including infections.
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Cure: | A category defined by bottle collectors as a medicine with the word "cure" in its name.
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Elixirs: | A sweetened and flavored alcohol and water based liquid used in the compounding of oral medicines.
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"Ethical medicines": | A name formerly used for medicine prepared by a druggist using a specific and public recipe, often obtained by prescription from a physician.
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Female medicines: | Medicines specifically marketed for women as aides in health problems that ranged from infertility to menstrual problems to menopause. These medicines fell into many classes including bitters.
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Sarsaparilla: | Medicines flavored with extracts of the sassafras root or related plants in the Smilax family. Sarsaparillas were used in the 16th century to treat syphilis. hey often served as a base to which additional products were added.
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Tinctures: | An alcohol extract of vegetable, animal, or chemical substances that usually also contained tannic acid.
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