www.atthecemeterygates.blogspot.com

Do you believe in life after death? Are you curious as to the existence of Ghosts, Specters, Spirits, Cryptids and other beings that fall into the realm of the Supernatural?


We welcome you to the Cemetery Gates where our primary objective is to discover the answers to these age old questions, conduct paranormal investigations, share our findings and let you be the judge.


Here you will have the opportunity to read personal accounts, view pictures, video footage and listen to audio tracks of the locations we investigate. We offer book and movie reviews related to the paranormal, supernatural and crypto-zoological news, topics on television, pop culture and anything related to America's growing interest of the paranormal.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

"Dance of Death" Drawings

A wonderful article with pictures from Bibliodyssey!

"After beginning his working life as a printer's apprentice, Louis Crucius (or Crusius) completed the necessary requirements to graduate as a pharmacist in 1882 and a doctor in 1890 in St Louis, Missouri. While he was studying he worked in a pharmacy and made humorous sketches that were placed in the window of the store. A collection of these drawings was published in 1893 ('Funny Bones'). He lectured in histology and anatomy and eventually came to be a Professor of Anatomy but died in 1898 from kidney tumours.

Although he gave most of his drawings away, Crucius sold a number of them to the Antikamnia ('opposed to pain') Chemical Company which had been established in St Louis in 1890. They produced antikamnia medicines containing the coal tar derivative, acetanilid, an anti-fever drug with pain relieving properties somewhat related to paracetamol, but which would be later shown to be a toxic compound not to mention addictive. Antikamnia was mixed with substances like codeine and quinine to enhance the pain relieving effects.

30 of the Crucius 'dance of death'-inspired drawings were used to make 5 years worth of Antikamnia Chemical Company calendars - between 1897 and 1901. They had a fairly aggressive marketing campaign in which the calendars (aimed at the medical fraternity) as well as postcards and sample packs were distributed to doctors in the United States and overseas.

The Antikamnia Chemical Company were eventually prosecuted for failing to disclose the source of the active ingredient on their packaging: U. S. v. ANTIKAMNIA CHEMICAL CO., 231 U.S. 654 (1914).

Check out a fantastic selection of pictures from the calendar!










No comments:

Blog Widget by LinkWithin