Hoofland's German Tonic consisted of Hoofland's German Bitters (a non-alcoholic herbal mixture) combined with Santa Cruz Rum and "flavored so that the extreme bitterness of the bitters is overcome." It was supposed to cure dyspepsia, liver ailments and general "debility" (i.e., everything else). This information is from a 1872 ad in Potter's American Monthly.However, in 1887 the Chicago Medical Times published a study of tonic medicines and stated that the German Tonic was just over 29% alcohol, which may explain the look in the drummer's eye.
The 1872 advertisement states that it cost $1.50 a bottle, which some people thought was too expensive - but that was because everything in it was pure and of a good quality. And it was recommended by "the Whole Supreme Court of Pennsylvania," too - Hoofland's was manufactured by Jones and Evans in Philadelphia.
Methodist ministers approved of the alcohol-free German Bitters, see here. In an 1862 ad, in a Methodist journal, Hoofland's lists a number of specific symptoms the Tonic cured, including "Constant Imaginings of Evil" and "Depression of Spirits."
Perhaps Methodist minister Fred Bell had a bottle of German Bitters handy in the mid-1870s, when his Brooklyn troubles began. And those will be the subject of the next post.
Image from Library of Congress.
8 comments:
Hi, I've left you the Puckerbrush Award at Tennessee Memories. You can pick it up there.
This reminds me of Belize, where medicinal bitters are still used quite a bit. Not all of them are made with rum, but the last time I had a cold, I had several friends bring me a shot of bitters. I did feel better, but the shots I drank were heavy on the rum. I'm sure it affected me more since I don't drink very often.
And speaking of medicinal "bitters" containing rum among the active ingredients, Plantation Bitters (as used St. Croix Rum from what is now the United States Virgin Islands) had a rather catchy little gimmick in "ST1860X" (which was widely believed to mean "Started trading [in] 1860 [with] ten [dollars' capital]", but the real meaning therefor is lost to history).
Creepy ad! I would not want to use the tonic if there was even the slightest chance of ending up like this dude!
Judith - Thank you so much!
iasa - Yes, it is a traditional remedy. There were lots of different brands of bitters on the market back then. That is interesting that it is still used in Belize and, I'd imagine, other places too.
The Exaggerator - That is a very interesting motto.
Amanda - I agree :)
Ewwww - Hoofland's? Made from cow's hooves, no doubt.
That joker on the drum is an odd sight lol!
Me-Me - I do not want to visit the Land of Hoofs, not without some strong tonic anyway.
Jayne - It's a weird choice of image, yes.
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