Dr. Rock’s Restorative Viper Drops 1754Dr. Rock was a well known quack (the 18th and 19th century term for a medical charlatan), selling his patent medicines during the early 18th century from the Covent Garden area in London, England. A level of lingering sympathetic magic applied to pharmacology still existed in the 18th century. This level of occultism, exoticism and mystery was deemed desirable in medicinal advertising of the time including profound claims about the medicines potency to cure all ailments, hence the origin of the term ‘cure alls’. This can be seen in the occultist and alchemaic use of ‘Restorative Viper Drops’, to convince the buyer of the power behind its quack medicinal and magical concoction.

Handcast from handmade mold, taken from 18th and 19th century medicine bottles. Mounted on antique salvaged wood.