Old Medicine in the Wangensteen Historical Library of Biology and Medicine

By Emily Ramirez

Hey my name is Emily Ramirez. I go to Longfellow High School. I’m working in the Wangensteen Historical Library of Biology and Medicine  this summer as an intern through the StepUp program.

Through this photo journal I’ll be showing you a little of what I’m working on. I’m working on finding tamper proof Medicine in the Wangensteen Historical Library’s artifact collection. While working on this project, I found an interesting artifact — asthmatic cigarettes.


Image #1: Asthmatic cigarettes

It is funny that they are giving people cigarettes even though they have asthma, which would make your asthma worse.

The description says, “To relieve the distress of asthmatic paroxysms and for similar conditions resulting from hay fever which may produce difficulty breathing.”

One ingredient in these asthmatic cigarettes is deer tongue. And it is interesting that they give you 60 cigarettes for $1.00.

asthmatic cigarettes
Photo credit: Emily Ramirez

More to come next week!

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