logo for Points, which features a needle in place of the T

short & insightful writing about a long and complex history

Joint Blog of the Alcohol & Drugs History Society and the American Institute of the History of Pharmacy

ttravis | January 20, 2011

Points (n.)

1. marks of punctuation. 2. something that has position but not extension, as the intersection of two lines. 3. salient features of a story, epigram, joke, etc.:  he hit the high points. 4. (slang; U.S.) needles for intravenous drug use.

When the Medicine Man Comes Knocking: The Push for Modernization of Pharmaceutical Safety

by

Camille King returns with Part Two of ‘When the Medicine Man Comes Knocking’. She picks up where Part One left off, with an understanding of how some patent medicines were marketed misleadingly based on their alleged ability to cure a range of physiological symptoms. In this post she considers how greater awareness was created regarding the content of patent medicines and their implications for public health.

When the Medicine Man Comes Knocking: A History of the Marketing of Patent Medicines

by

Editor’s Note: Camille King followed her curiosity regarding a beautiful family collection of vintage medicine bottles to conduct archival research and literature review on the marketing of patent medicines. Over a two-part post, Camille discusses the marketing strategies deployed to sell particular patented medicines (Part One), and subsequently considers factors that led to greater awareness regarding the content of patent medicines and their implications for public health (Part Two – forthcoming).

Read more

Ho-Chunk Nation, Treaty Day, and UW’s ‘Our Shared Future’ commitment

by

Editor’s Note: On the anniversary of Treaty Day (September 15th, 1832), when the Ho-Chunk Nation ceded Teejop to the United States, Maeleigh Tidd presents her final contribution to the Points Pharmaceutical Inequalities feature. In this post she explains the historical connection between the Ho-Chunk tribe and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and proceeds to discuss how UW are commemorating their shared past and future through specific initiatives, particularly within the School of Pharmacy and the education it provides.

Read more

Drinking Studies Showcase: ‘Bright Lights’

by

Editor’s Note: This post is part of our new feature: Drinking Studies Showcase, where we spotlight the work of those within the Drinking Studies Network.

Laura Fenton, Claire Markham and Samantha Wilkinson answer my questions about their recently-published chapter ‘Bright Lights, No City: Investigating Young People’s Suburban and Rural Drinkscapes’ within edited volume “Youth Beyond the City” (Eds. David Farrugia and Signe Ravn).

For any readers interested in themes of youth culture, drinking practices, drinking spaces and places, and rural/urban cultures, this one’s for you.

Read more

Drinking Studies Showcase: ‘Addictions’ with Rebecca Lemon.

by

Editor’s Note: This post marks the launch of our latest feature: Drinking Studies Showcase, where we spotlight the work of those within the Drinking Studies Network.

I was very privileged to sit down with Rebecca Lemon, Professor of English at the University of Southern California, to discuss her recent special issue for English Language Notes titled ‘Addictions‘ which she guest-edited.

Read more