Hello:

Really interesting postings going on. I happen to be looking at  
alcohol advertisements in American and Canadian newspapers in the late  
1800s and early 1900s and as many will know, manufacturers, especially  
of whisky, gin and beer, promoted their products as not only healthy  
and but medically necessary- although they tended not to use the term  
'drug.' 'Drugs' were what the other guys were selling.

Many patent medicines were advertised as being devoid of alcohol,  
opium and other 'harmful drugs.'

Greg Marquis
Professor
Department of History and Politics
UNB Saint John, P.O. Box 5050
Saint John, NB, E2L 4L5

ph: 506 648-5600

website: Crime and Punishment in New Brunswick:
http://www.unbsj.ca/arts/hist/gregmarquis/cph/