Politics and Prose

beckerrarebooks:

These whimsical images come from the mind of Louis Crusius, a physician and artist who was born in Wisconsin and later moved to St. Louis, Missouri.  The Antikamnia Chemical Company used Crusius’ images in a series of calendars they published from 1897-1901, which they sent to physicians who could prove their medical standing.

The company, whose name means “opposed to pain,” was known for manufacturing a patent medicine called Antikamnia tablets.  Like most patent medicines of the time, the ingredients in the tablets could have ill effects - the tablets contained acetanilide, which could cause cyanosis (a condition in which the skin becomes blood due to insufficient oxygen).