The World of Fake Potions, Lotions, Pills, Formulas,
Patent Medicines, Mechanical Devices, Snake Oil Salesmen and More
to Improve Health
For as long as there have been medicines and medical devices,
there have been snake oil salesmen with a quick patter and a fake
bottle of wonder drug to sell to the masses in groups or individually.
Many of the wonders were simple harmless concoctions of herbs that
did noting but at worst, they could contain deadly poisons or stop
someone from seeking proper treatment.
This collection of three films runs 47 minutes and explores the
world of medical quackery.
The first film is titled Confidential File: Medical Quacks - 1950s
- This episode of Confidential File hosted by Paul Coates explores
the world of quack medicine. The film explores example of medical
quackery and machines used in their pitches. It also shows what
the government does to protect people from these quack remedies.
The second film is titled Quacks and Nostrums - 1959 - This film
shows how medical quacks use hard sales techniques and other methods
to find and sell their "cures" to unsuspecting consumers
and the steps the government shut down these unscrupulous charlatans.
The third film is titled Medical Quackery PSA (Public Service Advisory)
This is a short PSA produced by the FDA warning about a device that
uses Z rays to cure disease.
Here are some sample clips from the DVD
 
 
 
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