Prompt Cast
The Origins and Negative Reputation of Snake Oil
TLDR Snake oil originated from a traditional Chinese remedy used by Chinese immigrants in 19th century America, but it gained a negative reputation due to the fraudulent claims made by Clark Stanley and the discovery that his product contained no snake oil at all.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
Snake oil is often associated with fraud and false medical claims, but this episode explores the origins of snake oil and why it has such a negative reputation.
01:21
Snake oil originated from a traditional Chinese remedy used by Chinese immigrants working on railroads in 19th century America to ease their muscle pains.
02:34
Snake oil, derived from water snakes and high in omega-3 fatty acids, was believed to relieve pain and was popularized by Chinese workers on the railroad in 19th century America, leading to the creation of Clark Stanley's snake oil liniment.
03:43
Clark Stanley created an elaborate backstory and toured the country selling his snake oil liniment, claiming it could cure a variety of ailments, and famously demonstrated its creation at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair.
04:49
The use of live rattlesnakes in Clark Stanley's snake oil demonstrations helped boost sales, but in 1917 it was discovered that his product contained no snake oil at all, leading to his downfall.
06:04
Snake oil became synonymous with fraud and scams, and while actual snake oil has health benefits, the popular snake oil product that led to the negative connotation didn't actually contain any snake oil.
