How do you cure a historic hangover?

By Mallory Warner
Percy Medicine, 1996-1999. "For the relief of diarrhea, sour stomach, acid indigestion, heartburn, and upset stomach associated with overindulgence of food and drink." Orange packaging with a child's face.

On this first day of 2014, many of us will be looking forward to the New Year. Others will just be looking forward to recovering from the after-effects of endless holiday parties. As you come out of your post-holiday fog, take a look at some of the curious cures for "over-indulgence" in food and alcohol in our collection.

"A pleasant, quick acting, effective antacid relieving upset stomach, hyperacidity, fullness, sour stomach, heart ache and forms of distress due to over-indulgence in food or drink"
Brioschi, after 1907. "A pleasant, quick acting, effective antacid relieving upset stomach, hyperacidity, fullness, sour stomach, heart ache and forms of distress due to over-indulgence in food or drink"
Display box of Garfield's Seidlitz Powders, 1930s-1940s “For that dull headachy feeling often caused by intestinal congestion…”
Display box of Garfield's Seidlitz Powders, 1930s-1940s. "For that dull headachy feeling often caused by intestinal congestion…"
Pluto Water, between 1903-1971. “It may be depended upon to actively flush the intestinal tract in constipation or after over-indulgence in eating or drinking.”  This product was sold with the cheeky tag line, “When Nature won’t—Pluto will.”  Pluto, Roman god of the underworld (the source of spring water), served as the brand’s mascot.
Pluto Water, between 1903-1971. "It may be depended upon to actively flush the intestinal tract in constipation or after over-indulgence in eating or drinking."This product was sold with the cheeky tag line, "When Nature won't—Pluto will.” Pluto, Roman god of the underworld (the source of spring water), served as the brand's mascot.
Emerson's Bromo-Seltzer , after 1906. “Remedy for nervous headache, neuralgia, brain fatigue, sleeplessness, over-brain work, depression following alcoholic and other excesses, mental exhaustion”
Emerson's Bromo-Seltzer, after 1906. "Remedy for nervous headache, neuralgia, brain fatigue, sleeplessness, over-brain work, depression following alcoholic and other excesses, mental exhaustion."
Percy Medicine, 1996-1999. ”For the relief of diarrhea, sour stomach, acid indigestion, heartburn, and upset stomach associated with overindulgence of food and drink.”
Percy Medicine, "For the relief of diarrhea, sour stomach, acid indigestion, heartburn, and upset stomach associated with overindulgence of food and drink."

For five more historic hangover cures (including a colorful 1939 Alka-Seltzer ad and a bottle of Bromo-Chaser), see our Flickr set or slideshow below. 

Mallory Warner is a project assistant in the Division of Medicine and Science. Explore more objects in our health and medicine collection or read Mallory's last post on our best bionic objects.