Uncle Ben Jo's Bell Tongue Syrup

Uncle Ben Jo has something called Bell Tongue Syrup for us all; but what exactly does this mean?

Does Bell refer to the Tongue or to the Syrup; and in either case, what in the world is it? A Bell Tongue Coot was a late 19th century term for a kind of bird also known as a white-wing scoter [Dictionary of American Regional English, p. 212]. A bell tongue is also the clapper or part that strikes a bell. But neither of these possibilities really seem to relate to medicinal syrup.

However, Bell Tongue also refers to a type of Windsor pear, according to a 19th century treatise on fruit - I suspect that this is the solution to the mystery [see Andrew Jackson Downing and Charles Downing, Fruits and Fruit-trees of America, J. Wiley & Son, 1883, p. 883]. The Windsor pear was also known as the Summer Bell Pear, the Downings noted; it was of European origin, and was not eaten raw, but had to be cooked to be edible.

The health benefits of pears in general can include the alleviation of conditions such as arthritis, gout, chronic gallbladder trouble, colitis and inflammation of the mucous membranes. It is also good for the lungs and stomach. Uncle Ben Jo's concoction was supposed to cure a long list of ailments which included all of these, plus heart trouble, rheumatism, coughs and colds, brain diseases and lumbago. Those Windsor pears must be packed with goodness!

The Bell Tongue Syrup was manufactured in New York about 1880, according to the National Museum of American History (NMAH), proud owners of the bottle. The image, not surprisingly, is from the NMAH Balm of America collection.