The Lay of the Lonesome Lung, 1881

By Krista Stracka ~

Since the end December, the aisles of most drug stores have been awash in red and pink products in anticipation of today, Valentine’s Day, a holiday often expressed through gift-giving—a retailer’s favorite tradition. The flood of love-themed commercials, advertisements, circulars, billboards, and clickbait pour in on every side through today hopeful to tempt the procrastinators among us as we rush to find last-minute presents for our friends and loved ones.

Patent medicine proprietors of the nineteenth century are often credited as the pioneers of the use of large-scale advertisement campaigns to connect with consumers in any location. Seth W. Fowle & Sons was just one proprietor among many challenged with promoting the name of their own products above those of the competition. One such product—Wistar’s Balsam of Wild Cherry—was first created around 1840 by a Dr. Henry Wistar of Virginia. A concoction of cherry extract, alcohol, and opiates, the Balsam was heavily marketed by yearly almanacs and trade cards as a cure for any throat, chest, and lung disease, including consumption. Despite criticism from fellow physicians and pharmacists, many like Dr. Wistar chose to join the highly profitable industry. Demand for over-the-counter and less-invasive methods of care had increased as treatment from qualified physicians was costly, difficult to obtain, and sometimes quite painful.

Recently added to NLM’s Medicine in the Americas digital collection is an 1881 pamphlet advertisement issued by Seth W. Fowle & Sons that incorporates Dr. Wistar as a character. Illustrated with silhouettes like those of a shadow box, The Lay of the Lonesome Lung features a humorous poem about a man named Bung on his quest to save his one working lung. After rejecting the advice of Dr. Wistar to use his Balsam, Bung embarks on a voyage to escape the ministrations of his doctors (including Dr. Wistar). Many of the illustrated scenes showcase the way marketers capitalized on advancing print technologies to experiment with sales techniques. In addition to testimonials in Rome and painted pyramids in Egypt, Bung is bombarded by large printed posters, sandwich boards, and banners that offer the very same advice offered by Dr. Wistar. He meets a lovely maiden, only to hear about Wistar’s Balsam from her as well. He flees, will he lose both health and love?

The Lay of the Lonesome Lung

A saddened man was Bung, Although a prosperous and wealthy one; He only had one lung, And that, alas, was not a healthy one: But this condition was, remember, ere he Had taken Wistar’s Balsam of Wild Cherry. He hated all M. D.’s, And positively wouldn’t hear of ’em: I think he grudged their fees; He swore ’twas ’cause he stood in fear of ’em And if he hated doctors, think how very Opposed he was to Balsam of Wild Cherry. “ To foreign parts I’ll fly,” Said Bung, “ no sort of use resisting me; If die I must, why I Can do so without your assisting me. So find some other chap to drug and blister; I’m off,” said he. “You are,” said Dr. Wistar,

The captain of the ship Observed, “ Dear me, you look quite poorly, sir; I hope this little trip Will do you lots of good; but surely, sir, Beside sea air you need some tonic wholesome: Try this,” producing Wistar’s Cherry Balsam.

In London streets he met A portly man, before he’d been an hour there, Who said to him, “I’ll bet I know why you so at the Tower stare; Just read that bill,” said he, “you need it, Mister,” It read, “Try Balsam of Wild Cherry, — Wistar.”

To Paris next he ran, And found, not least among its mysteries, That nearly every man Knew very well who Dr. Wistar is; For everybody said to him, “ Mon cheri, Try Dr. Wistar’s Balsam of Wild Cherry.”

To Berlin next he went, But found no one in all the city who, In blank astonishment, Did not exclaim, “ Meinherr, I pity you!” Such ignorance as Bung’s, in fact, appals ’em: “What! Never heard of Wistar’s Cherry Balsam ?”

O’er Russia’s icy waste He took his way upon a bicycle, And saw, affixed with paste, A placard strange to every icicle. “Translate this legend, please.” A Russian merry Replied, “Try Wistar’s Balsam of Wild Cherry.”

In Rome thus spoke the Pope: “I’m glad to meet you, I assure you, sir You are quite well, I hope? No? Then I know just what will cure you, sir. What, ho! Request our court apothecary To bring some Wistar’s Balsam of Wild Cherry.”

To India’s coral strand He went, and met a maiden beautiful; He offered her his hand, And she replied in manner dutiful But murmured softly, as her lover kissed her, “My own, try Cherry Balsam, made by Wistar.”

Poor Bung ran off and hid In Egypt, to escape admonishing; He saw a pyramid, And cried aloud, “This is astonishing! For on its sides, in letters mighty, very, He read, “Try Wistar’s Balsam of Wild Cherry.”

“Enough! ” cried Bung, “ I’ll buy This stuff, to find out what its powers are. He bought a lot to try — His lungs are now as sound as ours are! He went, quite cured, directly back to Aden Was married to the handsome Indian maiden, Has children now, I hear, is fat and merry, And all through Wistar’s Balsam of Wild Cherry.

The Lay of the Lonesome Lung

In the spirit of the holiday, this before-and-after tale does with end with two pairs: Bung gets the girl and both lungs are restored after he comes to his senses and uses Wistar’s Balsam of Wild Cherry!

You can read and download the pamphlet The Lay of the Lonesome Lung in NLM Digital Collections. In addition to this illustrated poem, the pamphlet contains glowing descriptions of Wistar’s Balsam of Wild Cherry and testimonials from doctors, government and civic leaders, and newspapers as well as an advertisement and testimonials for Peruvian Syrup, another patent medicine from the same company.

Krista Stracka is a Rare Book Cataloger for the Rare Books and Early Manuscripts Section in the History of Medicine Division at the National Library of Medicine.