GAULTHERIA 149 



reference to its being made from gaultheria or sweet 

 birch preceding Bigelow, 1818. 



Thus it is evident that although the plant gaultheria 

 has the advantage concerning conspicuity of name, 

 the same date of introduction and same reference, 

 (Bigelow), must be ascribed to both oil of gaultheria 

 and oil of birch. 



SWAIM'S PANACEA. The important fact elucidated 

 by the foregoing history of oil of gaultheria, to-wit, 

 that it first received recognition in this once popular 

 remedy, leads to a few words concerning this compound. 

 In the beginning of the past century, a French propri- 

 etary remedy, "Rob de Laffecteur," was very popular 

 throughout France and her colonies. It was invented 

 by a French apothecary Boiveau, who affixed to it the 

 name of Laffecteur to make it popular. In 1811 certain 

 New York physicians used this "Rob de Laffecteur" 

 with satisfaction, and Dr. McNevin, who obtained the 

 formula from a French chemist, M. Allion, made its 

 composition public. 



Mr. Swaim, a bookbinder, was treated by Dr. A. L. 

 Quackinboss and experienced great benefit from the 

 remedy. Procuring the formula from Dr. Quackinboss, 

 his physician, he modified it considerably, and put the 

 mixture on the market under the name "Swaim's Pana- 

 cea." This became very popular, and at last attracted 

 the attention of the medical profession. By the anal- 

 ysis of Mr. Chilton, 1829, under the auspices of the 

 New York Medical Society, it was positively shown 

 that Swaim had replaced the sassafras of Quackinboss' 

 formula by wintergreen oil, and had also introduced 

 corrosive sublimate into the mixture. 



