History of the Comstock Patent Medicine Business and Dr. Morses Indian Root Pills | Page 6

between Moore on the one part and
George Comstock, William H. Comstock, Judson, and White on the
other part, the parties agree, at Moore's option, either to sell all rights
and interest in Dr. Morse's Indian Root Pills to him, or to buy them
from him, but in the latter event he must covenant that "he will forever
refrain from the manufacture or sale of any medicine called Dr. Morse's
Root Pills, Moore's Indian Root Pills, or Morse's Pills, or Moore's Pills,
or any other name or designation similar to or resembling in any way
either thereof...."
In brief, there never was a Dr. Morse--other than Andrew B. Moore.
And the Comstocks never claimed any origin of the pills in legal
documents, other than their purchase from White. Subsequently, the
company fabricated a lengthy history of the discovery of the pills and
even pictured Dr. Morse with his "healthy, blooming family." This
story was printed in almanacs and in a wrapper accompanying every
box of pills. According to this version, "the famous and celebrated Dr.
Morse," after completing his education in medical science, traveled
widely in Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America, and spent three
years among the Indians of our western country, where he discovered
the secret of the Indian Root Pills. Returning from one of these
journeys after a long absence, he found his father apparently on his
death bed. But let us quote the story directly:
A number of years ago this good man was very sick. He had eight of
the most celebrated doctors to attend him both night and day. With all
their skill this good and pious gentleman grew worse, and finally they
gave him up, saying that it was impossible to cure him and he would

soon die ... In the afternoon he was taken with shortness of breath and
supposed to be dying. The neighbors were sent for, the room soon filled,
and many prayers were offered up from the very hearts of these dear
Christian people, that some relief might be obtained for this good and
pious man.
While these prayers were ascending like sweet incense to the throne
above, and every eye was bathed in tears, a rumbling noise was heard
in the distance, like a mighty chariot winding its way near, when all at
once a fine span of horses, before a beautiful coach, stood before the
door, out of which alighted a noble and elegant-looking man. In a
moment's time he entered the room, and embraced the hand of his dear
father and mother. She clasped her arms around his neck and fainted
away.
The Doctor, surprised to see his father so nearly gone, immediately
went to his coach, taking therefrom various plants and roots, which he
had learned from the Red Men of the forest as being good for all
diseases, and gave them to his father, and in about two hours afterwards
he was much relieved.... Two days afterwards he was much better, and
the third day he could walk about the room ...and now we behold him a
strong, active man, and in the bloom of health, and at the age of
ninety-five able to ride in one day thirty-five miles, in order to spend
his birthday with this celebrated Doctor, his son.
The foregoing event was supposed to have occurred some years before
1847, as the elder Mr. Morse's ninety-fifth birthday referred to was
celebrated on November 20, 1847, when he was still hale and hearty.
The old gentleman was also said to be enormously wealthy, "with an
income of about five hundred thousand dollars annually, and the owner
of a number of fine, elegant ships, which sailed in different directions
to every part of the world." Dr. Morse, who was the first man to
establish that all diseases arise from the impurity of the blood,
subsequently discarded his regular practice of medicine and, as a boon
to mankind, devoted his entire energy to the manufacture of Dr.
Morse's Indian Root Pills.
[Illustration: FIGURE 6.-"A Short History of Dr. Morse's Father." A
copy was inserted in every box of the pills.]
This story, which was first disseminated as early as the late 1850s, was
an entire fabrication. Throughout the patent-medicine era it was the

common practice to ascribe an Indian, or at least some geographically
remote, origin to all of these nostrums and panaceas. In the words of
James Harvey Young, in his book on the Social History of Patent
Medicines:[4]
From the 1820's onward the Indian strode nobly through the American
patent-medicine wilderness. Hiawatha helped a hair restorative and
Pocahontas blessed a bitters. Dr. Fall spent twelve years with the
Creeks to discover why no Indian had ever perished of consumption.
Edwin Eastman found a blood syrup among the Comanches. Texas
Charlie discovered a Kickapoo