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jacquelyn sauriol's avatar

Seems you have been considering how we think for a while now. In 1994 I was 30 years old and had just moved to Oregon. I generally am in the design/music fields, and have always just 'done my things' until now. Now, it seems, I am supposed to find a new place to help, somehow. What really prompted you to 'think about thinking'...just curious. thanks thesource....

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Judith L. Osterman's avatar

Chinese laborers brought Chinese traditional medicine with them to California, etc. in the nineteenth century. One of these cures was fat from the Chinese water snake which was effective against inflammation and pain from arthritis and some other diseases.

American ex cowboy Clark Stanley decided to exploit this and he produced a concoction made from rattlesnakes. This was vastly inferior.

Later on, he and others only made their snake oil from mineral oil with other ingredients such as turpentine.

This is how snake oil became synonymous with fake.

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