receipt

Object/Artifact

Historical Society of Carroll County, Maryland

Name/Title

receipt

Entry/Object ID

M 773

Description

Receipt. Mr. Cuningham to Dr. S.L.Swormstedt, July 6, 1867, for attendence/medicine. White paper, black printing, 3.5"x 8".

Context

This receipt, from Dr. Samuel L. Swormstedt, is for time spent with the patient, as well as Pond's Extract and pills. Pond’s Extract was a popular 19th-century patent medicine made from witch hazel, first developed in 1846 by chemist Theron T. Pond. Marketed as a topical remedy for wounds and a variety of ailments, it was one of the earliest commercially produced witch hazel products. Dr. Swormstedt (1801-1872) practiced medicine in Westminster. In the 1850 census he was listed as a “Botanic Physician.” This likely meant he was part of a medical school of thought that relied heavily on plant-based remedies.

Exhibition

Main Street at Work: Merchants and Medicine in Carroll County