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Practically every south Louisiana community had a store in the middle 1800s like D. R. January’s Crescent Drug Store in Crowley that offered “chemicals, perfumery, fancy stationery, toilet articles, soap, garden seeds, pipes, tobacco, cigars, paints, oil, glass, and everything usually found in a first-class drug store.”
But, most importantly, it sold patent medicines that worked so magically it’s a wonder they are no longer with us. If the old advertising claims were true, we would have no need for today’s expensive prescriptions .
For example, Bryan’s Pulmonic Wafers were all that anyone needed to cure a cold in the 1850s. It was guaranteed to be “the most certain and speedy new discovery for all Diseases of the Chest and Lungs, Coughs, Colds, Asthma, Consumption, Bronchitis, Influenza, Hoarseness, Difficult Breathing, Sore Throat,” and all sorts of other things.
Advertisements in newspapers across south Louisiana for the wafers promised “ the most instantaneous and perfect relief” from its laundry list of ailments.
“Thousands have been restored to perfect health who have tried other means in vain,” the ads claimed. “To all classes and all constitutions, they are equally a blessing and a cure — none need despair, no matter how long the disease may have existed, or however severe it may be …. Everyone affected should give them an impartial trial.”
If that didn’t work, there was always Ayer’s Cherry Pectoral, good not only for coughs, colds and hoarseness. But also whooping cough, asthma and consumption.
“While many inferior remedies thrust upon the community have failed and been discarded, this has … conferred benefits on the afflicted they can never forget, and produced cures too numerous and too remarkable to be forgotten.”
The testimonials came from around the globe, according to the Cherry Pectoral ad: “In Great Britain, France and Germany, where the medical sciences have reached their highest perfection, Cherry Pectoral is introduced, and in constant use in the Armies, Hospitals, Alms Houses, Public Institutions, and in domestic practice, as the surest remedy their attending physicians can employ for the more dangerous affections of the lungs. Also in milder cases, and for children, it is a safe, pleasant, and effectual cure. In fact, some of the most flattering testimonial we receive have been from parents who have found it efficacious in cases particularly incidental to childhood.”
Swain’s Panacea, was indeed a panacea if it did what was claimed for it — curing “all blood diseases,” as well as rheumatism, ulcers, old sores, boils, diseases of the spine, catarrh, and wasting.
Holloway’s Pills were the answer for everything else. This “extraordinary cure of loss of health” was “wonderfully effective” for ague, asthma, bilious complaints, blotches on the skin, bowel complaints, colic, consumption, debility, dropsy, fevers of all kinds, fits, gout, headache, indigestion, inflammation, jaundice, liver complaints, lumbago, rheumatism, sore throats, tumors, ulcers and “weakness from whatever cause.”
Obviously, the medicines and their advertising were entirely unregulated in those days. Makers could claim anything they could imagine. Nor were they required to list their ingredients. For a time, a good number claimed their medicine contained “snake oil,” whatever that was, and that’s why we still sometimes label folks who tend to make things up as “snake oil salesmen.” Lots of the medicines contained so much alcohol, opium, morphine, or other narcotics that, after just a swallow or two, nobody cared whether they were cured or not.
All of that changed on June 30, 1906, when President Theodore Roosevelt signed the first Food and Drug Act. The law put an end to the wildest claims, put some makers out of business, and caused others to change their formulas, quit making any medical claims, and market their products as simple refreshments. Coca-Cola is probably the one we know best. Pepsi, Dr. Pepper and 7-Up also began as patent medicines
They’re still with us because they are refreshing, and that’s nice — but what can they cure these days?
You can contact Jim Bradshaw at jimbradshaw4321@gmail.com or P.O. Box 1121, Washington LA 70589.

January 21, 1932 - October 20, 2023

ABBEVILLE — A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, October 24, 2023, at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church honoring the life of Dayton Joseph Simon, 91, who died Friday, October 20, 2023, at Abbeville General after a brief illness.  He will be laid to rest at St. Paul Cemetery with Reverend Danny Picard officiating the services.  Serving as pallbearers will be Erik Taylor Reutling, Evan Taylor Reutling, Samuel Christopher Reutling, Mitchel Landry, David Landry and Rick Melebeck. Honorary pallbearer will be Christopher Simon II.  
Dayton was an all-around family man who loved spending time with his family and friends, especially his grandkids. He also wore the title of “favorite uncle” with honor. Dayton proudly served in the United States Army National Guard. He was a devout catholic and served as an usher in St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church for many years. Dayton was also a member of the Knights of Columbus. Known as a jack of all trades, he would lend a helping hand to anyone that needed something repaired. Dayton retired from BellSouth/AT&T after 40 years of service as a communication specialist. He was very humble about his accomplishments and if there were an award to win, he was willing to put in extra work to achieve it. In his spare time, he enjoyed hunting, fishing, playing tennis, playing bourree’ and going on family vacations. He will be dearly missed by all who knew him. 
He is survived by his loving wife of 11 years, Audrey Simon, the former Audrey Broussard; son, Chris Simon and wife, Tracie; daughter, Lorie Reutling and husband, Erik Taylor; grandchildren, Christopher Simon II, Lensey Parker, Evan Taylor Reutling and fiancé’, Grace Fornea and Samuel Christopher Reutling; and sister, Pearl Simon. 
He was preceded in death by his first wife and mother of his children, Marie-Helen “Teta” Melebeck Simon; and parents, Philip Simon and the former Velma Luquette.
The family requests that visiting hours be observed at Vincent Funeral Home - Abbeville, 209 S. St. Charles St., on Tuesday, October 24, 2023, from 8:30 a.m. until 10:45 a.m. when the precession will depart for church. A rosary is being prayed by the Knights of Columbus at 10:15 a.m. in the funeral home. 
The family would like to thank the Abbeville General Hospital physicians, nurses, support staff and as well as the SLCC nursing students for all of their outstanding care in Dayton’s time of need. 

Premier chiropractic seminar and consulting company, The Masters Circle Global (TMCG), has announced that its 2023 Distinguished Clinician of The Year is Dr. Edward Chauvin, of Abbeville, Louisiana.
This prestigious award recognizes a Doctor of Chiropractic for their outstanding service to the Chiropractic Profession, integrity, amazing clinical outcomes and distinctions in healing.
The audience, including Dr. Chauvin’s colleagues, cheered endlessly as their colleague and friend made a gracious acceptance speech filled with passion and emotion. “It’s a great honor to be acknowledged, and it inspires me even more to go out and reach as many people as possible. I am grateful to God, my ultra-supportive community, and excellent team! Our goal is to spread the word of wellness and do everything possible to help our patients add years to their life and life to their years. We strive to inspire people to realize that wellness is a necessity, not a luxury, and that they can look to Chiropractors as their wellness doctors. We want to educate our patients about appropriate wellness products and help them coordinate effective wellness lifestyle programs so they can live healthier, more active lives.” With his thriving office, Chauvin Chiropractic, serving the Abbeville area (and beyond), he’s well on his way to making an important and positive contribution to the future of health and wellness.
"Doctors of Chiropractic world-wide know that there is a direct correlation between personal growth and practice success," says The Masters Circle President, Dr. Bob Hoffman." Being named Distinguished Clinician of The Year recognizes Dr. Chauvin’s talent as a healer, acknowledges that he has one of the finest characters the profession has to offer, that he is a man with the utmost integrity, and that he has proven himself to be a leader and an integral part of the wellness revolution.”

(Courtesy of the Advocate Newspaper)

Lafayette Parish Interim Superintendent Francis Touchet Jr. has been selected by the school board to serve as the next superintendent of the district.
The Lafayette Parish School Board voted unanimously Thursday to move Touchet to the permanent position. He has served in the interim role since July after former Superintendent Irma Trosclair resigned.
“I want to thank the board for their vote of confidence, but more importantly for the vote of confidence in our team,” Touchet said. “We will strive to continue to always put students first, and we will always make sure that our employees are in the best hands in doing so.”
Touchet was the only applicant for the superintendent position.
Touchet is a Kaplan High graduate, played football for USL and then taught in Vermilion Parish Schools. He was also a principal at Erath High School.
The position was advertised as required by law and as requested by school board members, according to Board Attorney Robert Hammonds.

“Mr. (Tommy) Angelle, Mr. (Justin) Centanni and I actually personally visited the post office and opened the P.O. box,” Hammonds said. “We double checked at the desk to make sure that the one application that was contained therein was in fact the only application. That application was submitted by your interim superintendent, who is eminently qualified to serve as a superintendent in the state of Louisiana.”
Hammonds said the board could either make a motion to select Touchet as the next superintendent or “do something else in this process as it moves forward.”
Britt Latiolais, who represents District 5, made a motion to select Touchet, pending any contract negotiations. The school board did not discuss the matter further, and there was no public comment on the topic.

Amanda Blanco, spokesperson for the Lafayette Parish School System, said the position was posted on the school system’s website and advertised from Aug. 6 to Aug. 20 in The Daily Advertiser, The Acadiana Advocate, The Baton Rouge Advocate and The New Orleans Advocate. Blanco said the position may have also been posted to job boards, but she did not have a definite answer before this story’s publication deadline. This recruitment process was the same as that used to recruit for the previous superintendent, Blanco said.

Touchet served as the associate Lafayette Parish superintendent, focusing on district accountability and academic support. He joined the district in July 2019.

He has been an educator for more than 30 years, according to his application. He started his career as a science teacher and football and track coach in Vermilion Parish. He moved into administrative roles in 1998. He served as assistant principal and principal in the parish, including serving as the principal of Erath High School for five years. While he was principal, the school was one of the state’s top-performing high schools.
He moved to the Louisiana Department of Education in 2012 as a network leader who worked with more than 40 school districts throughout the state on district-wide initiatives.
When the board voted to search for a new superintendent, they debated whether that decision should be left to them or passed on to the newly elected board, which will be seated in January.