# Mc Lean's Volcanic oil



## peejrey (Jul 15, 2010)

This is a Mc Lean's Volcanic oil Liniment. Can any one tell me a little about it?


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## peejrey (Jul 15, 2010)

Here's the top.


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## surfaceone (Jul 15, 2010)

Hey Preston,

 There's a fair amount of information available on J.H. McLean. Starting here: https://www.antique-bottles.net/forum/m-71652/tm.htm.






 It's still available, though the packaging ain't what it was.

 "About 1852 or 1853, Dr. A. G. Bragg of "Mexican Mustang Liniment" fame, made a stir in town by his sensational publicity. His remedy was simply crude petroleum bottled up and described as "oil from the burning mountains of Mexico." He advertised his nostrum in many ways. The most interesting was by a painting on the west side of his store, northeast corner of Market and Third streets, opposite my drug store. There was a volcano in eruption and a lot of Mexican troops with Santa Anna heading them, his wooden leg lying on the ground where it had fallen. These pictures were life size and served as an excellent advertisement.
 At this time, Dr. James H. McLean was working for Bragg, putting up the liniment; but shortly after, McLean opened up for himself by putting up "McLean's Volcanic Oil Liniment" and "McLean's pills," [the latter] a copy of the McLane's pills of Pittsburgh. So much for primitive business ethics." From Lucky Mojo. There's a few discordant notes on that page.






 "James Henry McLean had been interested in medicine as a boy in Nova Scotia, and gained most of his medical knowledge working for a pharmacist in Philadelphia as a teenager. Although he claimed to be a doctor, his formal training was likely to have been one medical course at the University of Philadelphia. He arrived in Saint Louis in 1849. He first appeared in the proprietary medicine field there in 1854-55, when he was connected with Mexican Mustang Liniment, later the property of Demas Barnes.

 By the mid-1860's McLean was beginning to offer his own medicines - Dr. J.H. McLean's Celebrated Strengthening Cordial and Blood Purifier, Dr. J.H. McLean's Liver and Kidney Balm, Dr. J.H. McLean's Celebrated Catarrh Snuff and Dr. J.H. McLean's Volcanic Oil Liniment, among others. The Strengthening Cordial was reputedly 85 to 100 proof alcohol, and the Volcanic Oil Liniment was crude petroleum, if modeled after Mexican Mustang Liniment as the latter's owner claimed, in court.

 McLean was a member of Congress for three months, filing an unexpired term, but was defeated for election to a full term after that. Around 1879 he decided that, as he had conquered illness, he would next conquer war." From.


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## peejrey (Jul 16, 2010)

I would kill to have one of those posters, especially the bill.[sm=lol.gif][sm=lol.gif][sm=lol.gif][sm=lol.gif][sm=lol.gif]


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## peejrey (Jul 16, 2010)

That is so interesting,. I bet he made a lot of money on his products.[8|]


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## madman (Jul 16, 2010)

hey preston nice bottle i dug one like it cool!


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## peejrey (Jul 16, 2010)

Even the thought of drinking crude Petroleum makes me sick![:'(][:'(][:'(]


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## donalddarneille (Jul 18, 2010)

Cool product, and they still sell it today! I've got a boxed bottle on the medicine cabinet in my bathroom. I bought it a couple years ago from drugstore.com, but have been reluctant to actually try it, I just thought the box was so cool I had to buy it...... and it was on sale!


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## buzzkutt033 (Jul 18, 2010)

that volcanic liniment is versatile stuff. i read the description in the list of medicines. it's good for man and beast. works great on people, horses and mules!!!!  

 jim


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