"A small collection of late 19th century ephemera promoting cancer and other patent cures, all sent to Dr. J.W. Marsh of Manchester Center, Vermont. Marsh was a member of the Eclectic Medical Society; he joined in 1896 and was listed as Vice President of the Vermont Chapter in 1900. Eclectic medicine founded by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque [1784- 1841], a botanist and professor at Transylvania University. He based the practice partly on the Native and early American use of medicinal plants, combined with other natural substances and physical therapy, and wrote, lectured, and (of course) sold his own medicines. The practice gathered steam in the 1830s and 1840s and peaked in the 1880s and 90s. This collection includes: *2 sided trade card of Dr. A.H. Brown of New Haven, 'Cancers Successfully Removed without the use of knife or caustics' -- 2-sided printed letter, dated in ink February 16, 1876 and signed by Brown, enclosing a sample box of a compound for curing cancer and including directions -- handwritten letter on the stationary of Dr. S.P. Stoddard of New York City, dated March 9, 1878, explaining he is going 'west for a few months to work on some cases but his compounds will be shipped as usual from his office -- a handwritten letter on Dr. Stoddard's stationary dated March 27, 1878, discussing a compound he is sending -- an 1876 3-page brochure for Dr. Stoddard's 'Haemorrhoids and Piles' treatment, available at his offices in New York, ('competent lady assistant for females'), at great length and with much use of dramatic typefaces..."--Bookseller's description, 2017.

1 unknown (1 collection)

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