Snake Oil Medicine Doll Ornament

"I am the seller of snake liniments, and oils,
goods for all ailments,troubles and toils."

In the late 1800s there were snake-oil salesmen, led by Clark Stanley, the self-described "Rattlesnake King." Stanley made a fortune selling his pain liniment, reputedly made from oil extracted from snakes.His advertisments described his snake oil as "A wonderful pain destroying compound." It was "the strongest and best liniment known for the cure of all pain and lameness." To be "used external only," it treated "rheumatism, neuralgia, sciatica, lame back, lumbago, contracted muscles, toothache, sprains, swellings, etc." It also,the ad said "cures frost bites, chill blains, bruises, sore throat, and bites of animals, insects and reptiles," in fact being "good for every thing a liniment should be good for." Promising "immediate relief," being "Good for man and beast ,"it sold for fifty cents a bottle . In 1915, Stanley's concoction was examined and found to be of no value, in fact it was mostly made of mineral oil. The U.S. government shut him down for making false claims,and for this was fined $20.00 .

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