Medicine Shows - What's the Difference?

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Medicine shows have a few common elements. One is it was always a lengthy show that sort of got people into the mode of being entertained, not sold to. Many an shows also included some elements of what we later came to sort of define as freak shows. Buffalo bill cody, probably the most famous wild west showmen, got the idea from another favorite that we will talk about quite a bit to day: p t barnum.

The world of dieting and wellness is full of so-called snake oil salesmen—but what IS snake oil? This week, we take a wild ride through the history of health scams and discover a startling twist about an everyday idiom. Along the way, Aubrey delivers fun facts about sanitation from memory and Mike roasts the state where most of his family lives.

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Thanks to Ashley Smith for editing assistance and Doctor Dreamchip for our lovely theme song!

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