Perry Davis Pain Killer Advertising Panel

Made in Canada. 1870s-1890s. Wood-framed. Ruby glass etched-to-clear. Scarce. Perry Davis was a "snake oil salesman" born in 1791, not long after the U.S. was founded in 1776. Davis fell through a wooden raft and broke his hip, which resulted in a variety of infections, fevers, and overall chronic pain that followed him throughout his life. His life was nondescript, moving from one failed idea to another until he became sick and was faced with such debilitating pain that he made his own medicinal concoction that combined opium, alcohol, and herbs. Certain that he had developed a miracle cure, he bottled his concoction and "Perry Davis Pain Killer" was born. His Pain Killer travelled the world, usually along with Christian Missionaries who sought out American ships to sell a product that sounded great but didn't really cure anything. Curiously, "Perry Davis Pain Killer" was often sold in conjunction with "Allen's Lung Balsam", another "quack" medicine sold as a cure-all for virtually everything that Perry Davis' Pain Killer didn't cure. Note: a rare "Allen's Lung Balsam" glass panel is included in this sale. When he died in 1862 he was one of the richest men in Providence, Rhode Island. Upon his death, Davis' son and grandson continued to sell the Pain Killer locally, nationally, and internationally, including in Canada. This sign was manufactured in Montreal by Ramsay & Co., a sign maker known to use etched glass. It would have been displayed in a window, with natural light drawing the customer's attention to the "Pain Killer" through the beauty of ruby glass highlighting its imagery. Products such as these quackery medicines were important as they would eventually lead to the development of evidence-based medicine and the pharmaceutical regulation of unproven practices. Marked, "Ramsay & Co.", lower left. Marked, "Montreal", at lower right. All items are guaranteed authentic by Miller & Miller Auctions. All purchases are eligible for free delivery to the Winter Dixie Gas & Oil Show on December 4, 2026 and the Red Deer Swap Meet on April 30 - May 1, 2027.

Estimate:£1,854.96

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