Quack cures purchased to treat the 1918 Spanish flu varied with income. Wampole’s Paraformic Lozenges, only 25 cents a bottle, “protects you in public places.” Johnson’s Anodyne Liniment, equally cheap, was “an enemy to germs.” Rich folks could rent an electro-therapy Violet Ray Machine for $4 a week, also good for acne and kidney stones. Shoe stores stressed keeping feet dry with new foot ware; grocers touted onions; and druggists declared hot water bottles “assistant flu chasers.” Read more about the deadly Spanish flu pandemic a century ago in On the Shore, a WWI tale of conflict between generations in a Lower East Side immigrant family (see NOVELS).
