Cannabis Museum

Corn Cures, Cannabis for Skin Care

Cannabis has a long, documented history of topical use. Our ancestors ground fresh leaves into a mass they applied to wounds, soreness, inflammation and other conditions. Initially, a length of cloth was used to hold the poultice in place. This evolved into manufactured plasters; cloths impregnated with medical substances formulated to adhere to the skin. They ranged from a simple paste held in place with a tied strip of textile to elaborate self-adhering patches cut for various parts of the body. Mashing the root in water and applying it to the foot as medicine for gout dates back at least to the seventeenth century in England and the U.S. The concept of a left and right shoe was introduced in the early nineteenth century, but did not achieve widespread acceptance until considerably later. Ill-fitting shoes meant people had a lot of problems with their feet. Foot problems were taken seriously, infections were common and a working population on their feet demanded an effective and timely solution. By the late nineteenth century, a wide variety of pre-packaged, self-adhesive corn plasters impregnated with the Cannabis remedy were available in every drugstore. Using Cannabis in corn plasters took advantage of the herb’s antibacterial, antifungal and antineoplastic properties. This ability to act as a germ killer became important in the late nineteenth century when the medical profession began taking germs seriously, noting that fungi and bacteria were in fact the causes of many skin ailments. At the close of the nineteenth century, almost all corn remedies and plasters contained Cannabis as one of their key ingredients. All good corn removers were expected to have a rich green color and Cannabis also served as an excellent coloring agent. Left to Right: Allen’s Corn Plasters, Johnson & Johnson, New Brunswick, New Jersey. American Corn Remover for Corns Callouses Warts, The Great American Herb Co., Washington, DC, price 10 cents. “It relieves soreness almost instantly. The cleanest and most easily applied remedy for Corns, Warts, and Callouses. Can be worn night and day.” Ivy Leaf Cures Corns, T. Bentley, M.P.S., Uttoxeter, UK, price 10 cents. Chiropodine Corn and Bunion Plaster, The Chiropodine Co., St. Louis, MO, price 20 cents. Raging Bull with Bakelite screwcap, manufactured and prepared by Mckesson & Robbins, New York, dispensed by Gibson’s Pharmacy, Liberty, Texas. New England Corn Cure, Dr. Ernest Compton, Flushing, New York. Bullseye Corn Plasters, Lomen & Marks Apothecary, San Antonio, Texas, price 25 cents. Dr. Caldwell’s Instantaneous Corn Plaster, Pepsin Syrup Co., Monticello, Illinois, price 10 cents. O-Joy Corn Wafers, Clower Pharmacal Co., Brentwood, Maryland, price 10 cents. Merrill & Denning Corn Buster, Merrill & Denning Co., Mechanic Falls, Maine, price 25 cents. Egersdorff’s Corn Wart Skin, Faxon & Gallagher Drug Co., Kansas City, Missouri, price 15 cents. Haywood’s Painless Corn Remedy, Pfeiffer Chemical Company, New York, New York, St. Louis, Missouri. “Each ounce contains Alcohol 44{a5d39aeaa89b711877bfee2ca7656cf807df36037fbc628b2ec0da2786d5885f}, Ether 190 min., Cannabis 72 Grs.” Camm’s Corn Solvent, J.R. Sudler & Co., Bridgeville, Delaware. “Each ounce contains 7 grains Ext. Cannabis and 288 grains Ether. Alcohol 20 per cent.” Da Ka Ta Corn Medicine, DA KA TA Medicine Co., Indianapolis, Indiana. Price 25 cents. Seabury’s Improved Corn Plaster, Seabury and Johnson New York, USA, Laboratories in East Orange, New Jersey. Brightly enameled 2″ x 3″ inch tin. Dr. Hunt’s New Corn Cure, display box of 10 smaller boxes. American Chemical Co., Sidney, Ohio, price 10 cents. Mennen’s Sure Corn Killer, Mennen Company, Newark, New Jersey, price 25 cents. Raccoon Corn Plasters, Kemp Le Roy, New York, price 15 cents. “After 48 hours remove the plaster, soak the foot for 10 minutes in hot water and then pull out the corn. If the corn is hard and is not easily removed, repeat application.”