Violet McNeal ran away from her family's rural Minnesota farm in the late 1880s and fell under the spell of conman and patent medicine "doctor" Will Archimbauld who hooked her on opium and promises of fame and fortune. Violet soon learned to become Princess Lotus Blossom and was the best pitchman, nostrum seller, and conwoman to roam the west in a torch-lit wagon. Four White Horses and a Brass Band is Violet's story of life on the road with the medicine show and reveal the secrets of conman's trade. Sick and nearly dead with addiction by age 30, she submits to the tortures of withdrawal and the "cure" to create a new life. First published in 1947, the Feral House edition features an extensive afterword on the history of the patent medicine trade and evolution of the lure of miracle cures and healers. Also included are a glossary of the grifter's cant and samples of scripts used by Violet and other infamous "doctors".
eBook - ePub
Four White Horses and a Brass Band
True Confessions from the World of Medicine Shows, Pitchmen, Chumps, Suckers, Fixers, and Shills
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub
Four White Horses and a Brass Band
True Confessions from the World of Medicine Shows, Pitchmen, Chumps, Suckers, Fixers, and Shills
About this book
Trusted by 375,005 students
Access to over 1.5 million titles for a fair monthly price.
Study more efficiently using our study tools.
Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Copyright
- Title Page
- Contents
- 1. Making Medicine
- 2. Only Suckers Work
- 3. Perfume Beans and Pickpockets
- 4. Tapeworms and Tiger Fat
- 5. A Fifty-Cent Flop and a One-Dollar Toy
- 6. Princess Lotus Blossom
- 7. The Yokohama Medical Institute
- 8. “For Men Only”
- 9. The Tattooed Dragon
- 10. “…The First Man that Comes Into the Office…”
- 11. The Dago was a Jealous Man
- 12. Cocaine Bugs
- 13. Rejuvenation
- Appendices
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can cancel anytime from the Subscription tab in your account settings on the Perlego website. Your subscription will stay active until the end of your current billing period. Learn how to cancel your subscription
No, books cannot be downloaded as external files, such as PDFs, for use outside of Perlego. However, you can download books within the Perlego app for offline reading on mobile or tablet. Learn how to download books offline
Perlego offers two plans: Essential and Complete
- Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
- Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.5M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
We are an online textbook subscription service, where you can get access to an entire online library for less than the price of a single book per month. With over 1.5 million books across 990+ topics, we’ve got you covered! Learn about our mission
Look out for the read-aloud symbol on your next book to see if you can listen to it. The read-aloud tool reads text aloud for you, highlighting the text as it is being read. You can pause it, speed it up and slow it down. Learn more about Read Aloud
Yes! You can use the Perlego app on both iOS and Android devices to read anytime, anywhere — even offline. Perfect for commutes or when you’re on the go.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app
Yes, you can access Four White Horses and a Brass Band by Violet McNeal in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in History & Social Science Biographies. We have over 1.5 million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.