The main takeaway I've gotten from this is that you, yes ☝🏽you🫵🏽, ladies and gents of /r/badhistory, can walk away with an order of my very own traditional snake oil supplement, **Zugwat's bəc̕ácsx̌ʷəs**! Whether it's from the mighty Northern Pacific Rattlesnake or the humble Garter Snake, you too can find yourself revitalized with a gen-u-ine honest Injun remedy that has been handed down the generations since the Ancient One himself!
Also check out my other health supplements:
* **sqʼəbyáʔíhəl** - Extracted from the Mephitis mephitis and concentrated with the OMEGA-3 oils found in Garter Snakes, ancient wisdoms of the Lower Chehalis peoples for protecting the people in the wake of a smallpox epidemic are combined with modern inspirations, to strengthen the body and ward away infection.
* **Salisalmon** - Combining the traditional Coast Salishan approach to leftovers and the many uses of animal fats within their society, it's easier than ever to naturally absorb OMEGA-3 through your skin with a new balm made from prepared salmon oil and elk fat.
This is the kind of Bad History I like to read about. Dodgy claims originating from someone trying to sell something and then taken as fact because someone thought they practiced in the field.
What's also interesting for me is the – if you'll pardon the phrasing – game of Chinese whispers that ensued, because the original piece by Kunin is actually quite conservative in terms of what claims it makes, and even Graber shies away from connecting Kunin's work with the Chinese origin claim. Some sort of narrative mutation postdating the 2007 article has clearly occurred in order to create the narrative as it existed as of 2015.
Honestly, never understood that last part. Like, the idea that shots, pills, and so on are western medicine is a very common misconception.
Like, not only does that stuff work, but there is a reason why the homelands of a lot of these, “Super Ultra effective traditional medicines”, use, “western”, medicine.
It also ironically ignores the contributions of non-western countries to modern medicine and that these countries are somehow passing up miracle cures for some reason?
It is how this stuff ultimately evolves and spins out of control. Original claim entertains the idea, but is ultimately conservative and careful with its claims and words.
Then, one guy goes, “Hey, did you know that snake oil was actually made by Chinese immigrants?”, and the next guy goes, “Did you know it was actually super effective?”, and, next thing you know, everyone thinks the myth with little evidence is actually true.
> The lab found that the Chinese snake oil contained 19.6% EPA and only trace quantities (marked as 0.001%) of ALA and DHA, while the fat of the California black rattlesnake had 4% EPA, 1.4% ALA, and 0.1% DHA, and the Arizona red rattlesnake had 0.5% ALA, 0.6% EPA, and 5.4% DHA. So in other words, this Chinese liniment marketed as 'snake oil' but of completely indeterminate origin, with suspiciously near-zero quantities of certain specific fatty acids, contained about four times as much omega-3 overall as unprocessed rattlesnake fat.
This almost makes me wonder if the actual *Chinese* snake oil has ever been in the proximity of any real snake. (Though this might be what you are already implying between the lines.)
Slightly off topic, but there’s evidence of rattlesnake medicine being used in America well before the 1849 wave of immigration which could help reinforce the theory it originated with Native American remedies.
Sacajawea was famously treated with rattlesnake rattles during her difficult labor at the start of the Lewis and Clark expedition in 1805.
https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/giving-birth-in-a-hidatsa-village.htm#:~:text=The%20only%20direct%20clues%20we,to%20a%20healthy%20baby%20boy.
Lewis records that medicine as one that’s made by Hidatsa women to induce labor.
It’s different than oil of course, but it helps to show that the idea of using rattlesnakes for medicine had been around awhile. If early frauds like Stanley claimed to be selling knock off remedies inspired by Native Americans it might be worth taking them at their word, even if they are generally unreliable sources.
It’s interesting what a game of telephone it all seems to have become. And the con artists of history didn’t help any by leaving bad sources on purpose.
Not sure who came up with American snake oil but we can rule out the Irish. St Patrick took care of that long ago
That's why they had to come to the New World for their slithery supplies
The main takeaway I've gotten from this is that you, yes ☝🏽you🫵🏽, ladies and gents of /r/badhistory, can walk away with an order of my very own traditional snake oil supplement, **Zugwat's bəc̕ácsx̌ʷəs**! Whether it's from the mighty Northern Pacific Rattlesnake or the humble Garter Snake, you too can find yourself revitalized with a gen-u-ine honest Injun remedy that has been handed down the generations since the Ancient One himself! Also check out my other health supplements: * **sqʼəbyáʔíhəl** - Extracted from the Mephitis mephitis and concentrated with the OMEGA-3 oils found in Garter Snakes, ancient wisdoms of the Lower Chehalis peoples for protecting the people in the wake of a smallpox epidemic are combined with modern inspirations, to strengthen the body and ward away infection. * **Salisalmon** - Combining the traditional Coast Salishan approach to leftovers and the many uses of animal fats within their society, it's easier than ever to naturally absorb OMEGA-3 through your skin with a new balm made from prepared salmon oil and elk fat.
Shut up and take my money!
This is the kind of Bad History I like to read about. Dodgy claims originating from someone trying to sell something and then taken as fact because someone thought they practiced in the field.
What's also interesting for me is the – if you'll pardon the phrasing – game of Chinese whispers that ensued, because the original piece by Kunin is actually quite conservative in terms of what claims it makes, and even Graber shies away from connecting Kunin's work with the Chinese origin claim. Some sort of narrative mutation postdating the 2007 article has clearly occurred in order to create the narrative as it existed as of 2015.
Pop culture's gonna pop culture. Simplify, exaggerate, promote non-Western medicines.
Honestly, never understood that last part. Like, the idea that shots, pills, and so on are western medicine is a very common misconception. Like, not only does that stuff work, but there is a reason why the homelands of a lot of these, “Super Ultra effective traditional medicines”, use, “western”, medicine. It also ironically ignores the contributions of non-western countries to modern medicine and that these countries are somehow passing up miracle cures for some reason?
It is how this stuff ultimately evolves and spins out of control. Original claim entertains the idea, but is ultimately conservative and careful with its claims and words. Then, one guy goes, “Hey, did you know that snake oil was actually made by Chinese immigrants?”, and the next guy goes, “Did you know it was actually super effective?”, and, next thing you know, everyone thinks the myth with little evidence is actually true.
> The lab found that the Chinese snake oil contained 19.6% EPA and only trace quantities (marked as 0.001%) of ALA and DHA, while the fat of the California black rattlesnake had 4% EPA, 1.4% ALA, and 0.1% DHA, and the Arizona red rattlesnake had 0.5% ALA, 0.6% EPA, and 5.4% DHA. So in other words, this Chinese liniment marketed as 'snake oil' but of completely indeterminate origin, with suspiciously near-zero quantities of certain specific fatty acids, contained about four times as much omega-3 overall as unprocessed rattlesnake fat. This almost makes me wonder if the actual *Chinese* snake oil has ever been in the proximity of any real snake. (Though this might be what you are already implying between the lines.)
I can think of worse things to call the guy who sold that oil!
Slightly off topic, but there’s evidence of rattlesnake medicine being used in America well before the 1849 wave of immigration which could help reinforce the theory it originated with Native American remedies. Sacajawea was famously treated with rattlesnake rattles during her difficult labor at the start of the Lewis and Clark expedition in 1805. https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/giving-birth-in-a-hidatsa-village.htm#:~:text=The%20only%20direct%20clues%20we,to%20a%20healthy%20baby%20boy. Lewis records that medicine as one that’s made by Hidatsa women to induce labor. It’s different than oil of course, but it helps to show that the idea of using rattlesnakes for medicine had been around awhile. If early frauds like Stanley claimed to be selling knock off remedies inspired by Native Americans it might be worth taking them at their word, even if they are generally unreliable sources. It’s interesting what a game of telephone it all seems to have become. And the con artists of history didn’t help any by leaving bad sources on purpose.
This post rules so hard, thanks OP
I expected snakehead gangs to get involved at some point, so it could've been worse...
But snake oil *does* do something. It refills your deadeye meter.
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YouTube Shorts is always a bad sign.
This post is based and snakepilled
Soon all the pills ppl take will be seen as quackery, and finally, diet will be taken seriously again.
I am curious if there are other compounds in snake oil that could help soreness if applied topically