What is a SNAKE OIL SALESMAN, and why should we care?
In the 1880s, legend has it that a man named Joseph Myers living in Nebraska was
helping some Native Americans harvest a special plant. They said that they used the
plant to make a medicine which would treat rattlesnake bites, bee stings, dog bites,
infected wounds, fever, and more. Mr. Myers started to make his own "medicine"
from the plant and added whisky. He started selling it in the West as a miracle cure
for everything. He became known as the "snake oil salesman" since many of the
people who bought his medicine were not cured. Since then, the term "snake oil
salesman" has stood for an unproven or bogus health product. Many such products
are being marketed on television and over the internet.
We hope this activity will help you learn to watch out for them!
Answer the questions in Section 1 of your worksheet.
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