Modern medicine has come a long way for those who can afford it, but we frequently forget that ‘modern’ medicine was here in 2019, 1959, 1909, 1809, 1609, 1009, 0009, and even earlier. The things we laugh at today were state-of-the-art yesterday. You of course know that Coca-Cola once contained cocaine, but we found an article looking back at unusual medical history that brought some little-known newbies to our attention. Enjoy learning about the suntan vending machines, bed-to-bed cigarette sales in hospitals, the cocaine candy with flavors of “Horehound, kumquat,
spinach, mushroom, poppy, and hemlock”, the baby tanning bed, and oh, so much more, including the “Gentlemans’ Guide to Amputation” in which the final step is for doctor and amputee to go share a brandy after surgery!
