Daily Kennebec journal., 1911-03-16
LDESTs PATENT MEDICINE.
Famous Quack Remedy Used Since
Beginning of Christian Era.

\ patent medicine older than Chris
tianity. and which enjoyed great
reputation rs late as 1850, was called
Orvietan. The word charlatan origin
ated in connection with the sale OF
this nostruEl.
.Of all historic fakes says one
writer. 1.-The most triumphant was un-
doubtedly orvietan. This word, al
though mentioned in Scotts 'kenil-
WORTH does not appear in many die
tionaries, even medical. The remedy
has been forgotten. so to speak, un
der the name of Venice treacle.
From the time of Nero till late in
the eighteenth century, orvietan was
the great panacea, curing everything
and being the sovereign antidote to
all poisons, including snake venom.
Prominent among its SO odd ingredi-
ents was a powdered flesh of vipers.
Known for centuries under the name
of Theriaca, or mithradote, one Lupi.
a Tuscan. managed to secure a prac-
teal monopoly for his formula, which
he named after his native town.
Orvieto. Several of his followers man
, aged to secure, about 1928, the sole
right to sell orvietan throughout the
priceless monopoly was punished not
only by a fine of 1000 ducatS but by
communication.
"A cart-tai physician. Desiderio
Descombes, despite the papal protec-
tion of Lupi, managed to build up
an enormous patronage for his brand
of orvietan. 1t is to Descombes that
we owe the word charlatan. Ihis
n. 4
ian ciarlare. to chatter, but it seems
unlikely that Descombes would care
to boast of his oratorical prowess. al
though it was the sole secret of his
prestige
1T has been surmised that he de-
rived his pet title from scarlatto. liz
reference to the brilliant coat he wore
when mounted upon his little stage
on the Pont Neuf at Paris. Something
really striking in vesturc was neces-
sity. for the Pont Neuf was crowded
from end to end with quacks and
mountebanks of every description.
1T is consoling to learn that al
though DescombcS obtained royal ap-
probation and n fee from the Queen
of 1876 crowns, he was unable to cajole
the Paris Faculty of Medicine into an
Endorsement of bis methods. The roy
al approval, however, sufiiced 80 win
him fortune. He finally died of the
plague. despite his possession of what
| should nave been sufficient quantity
| of orvietan to safeguard him from all
possible contagion.
"Orvietan finally lost it's vogue about
100. although it is said to be still
used in Normandy by a low class of
veterinary practitioners. The famous
quack remedy is older than Christian
ity. for it was known long before
Galen, who published Il formula of
| his own. containing 81 ingredients.
The last trace of it existed IN the
| United States under the name of con-
| fectio Democrats. which old prach-
| TONERS will recall as an important In
! gredient of the original WarDurg $
| Tincture. The Confeetio was made OF
turpentine acacia. treacle, balm Of
/ Gilead. Russian castor. cinnamon,
| myrrh. and some 60 other ingredients.
| making mixture very like orvietan,
| except that the flesh of the vipers was
replaced by the dried bellies of skunks.
IA doubtful improvement from the
| viewpoint of either therapeutics or
| aesthetics. American Medicine.