End of the road

A fellow decides to investigate where the Zzyzx road goes. Because of its odd name I had heard of the road, although I had no idea where it was. It turns out that it is in the Mojave Desert. At the end of it was a mineral springs and health spa founded by Curtis Howe Springer, a mid-20th century quack who was peddling medicinal potions. It is now used as a university's research station.  

   

Smoking to relieve asthma

Click any image to enlarge

I can't imagine anybody who would really think that smoking anything would help with breathing problems, but I'll be generous and suppose they meant well and just missed the mark by a mile or two. I do love the "they may be safely smoked by ladies and children" line in the above ad. The voice bubble coming out of the guy's nose is also a sight to behold. Then again, who am I to doubt the medical advice of a talking nose?

These samples are from the  Messy Nessy post A Brief Compendium of Medical Quackery. There is much more quackery at the link.

Budget Vacations - Questionable Medical Devices Collection

Phrenology machine

As a public service, during these cash strapped times, I've been suggesting budget vacation destinations. Of course, I always strive to provide attractions that are of great historical or educational value. 

For that reason, today's recommendation is the  "Questionable Medical Device" collection of the Science Museum of Minnesota. It is a comprehensive overview of medical quackery and mechanisms of dubious therapeutic value. 

It includes phrenology machines, curative devices that squirted out cancer-causing doses of radiation, various contraptions that futilely harnessed the wondrous powers of magnetism, foot powered breast enlarging pumps and more. 

The exhibit originally assembled by Bob McCoy who started the collection when he bought a few phrenology machines and for a small fee demonstrated them in a shop in Minnesota. Soon he began to acquire other devices 

For a while he moved his collection to its own museum, but it was eventually donated to the Science Museum of Minnesota where it now resides. So, if you're in the area drop by and check it out and, as always, pack yourself a picnic lunch.