Adorned in holly, an infant dressed as a jester sends late nineteenth century holiday greetings from R. Monroe Kennedy, whose Pittsburgh-based firm manufactured the popular cure-all “Dr. Radcliffe’s Seven Seals” (bottom). An alcoholic elixir of ether, chloroform, capsicum, and peppermint oil, Seven Seals promised to ease woes and bring holiday cheer. The face of the baby jester’s wand grins in the background with knowing delight. This Kennedy remedy was an American version of one popularized by Dr. John Radcliffe (1650 to 1714), British Parliamentarian and royal physician to William and Mary. Radcliffe’s bustling London practice had treated patients as notable as Isaac Newton, Alexander Pope, and Jonathan Swift. An Oxford graduate, Radcliffe gave his alma mater a gift that was far from seasonal; his lavish trust has funded Oxonian ventures for centuries. As homage to his generosity, several university buildings, including the Radcliffe Science Library and the John Radcliffe Hospital, still bear his name. (Copyright © the American Society of Anesthesiologists’ Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology.)
Adorned in holly, an infant dressed as a jester sends late nineteenth century holiday greetings from R. Monroe Kennedy, whose Pittsburgh-based firm manufactured the popular cure-all “Dr. Radcliffe’s Seven Seals” (bottom). An alcoholic elixir of ether, chloroform, capsicum, and peppermint oil, Seven Seals promised to ease woes and bring holiday cheer. The face of the baby jester’s wand grins in the background with knowing delight. This Kennedy remedy was an American version of one popularized by Dr. John Radcliffe (1650 to 1714), British Parliamentarian and royal physician to William and Mary. Radcliffe’s bustling London practice had treated patients as notable as Isaac Newton, Alexander Pope, and Jonathan Swift. An Oxford graduate, Radcliffe gave his alma mater a gift that was far from seasonal; his lavish trust has funded Oxonian ventures for centuries. As homage to his generosity, several university buildings, including the Radcliffe Science Library and the John Radcliffe Hospital, still bear his name. (Copyright © the American Society of Anesthesiologists’ Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology.)
Jane S. Moon, M.D., University of California, Los Angeles, and George S. Bause, M.D., M.P.H., Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio.
