Be Thankful For Modern Medicine

On January 17, 1975, Mount Vernon, GA sent word to Long Branch, NJ that my cousin, Roberta had suddenly and tragically passed away. Within hours, the family was ready for the 900-mile road trip.

Much of the week that followed is foggy, locked in the mind of the eight year old who experienced it. I suppose it will all come back to me on my deathbed. I do remember stopping along the way to visit my Aunt Liz's family in rural North Carolina, also that my school-aged cousins had to rise at the crack of black to catch a school bus.

It is probably the first time in life I experienced grief. The funeral, which took place in a school auditorium seemed almost unreal yet certain things remained seared in memory. I can vividly picture my mother and cousin, Rutha Mae, black shawls draping their shoulders. It is my very first memory of a cemetery burial. Perhaps one day I can find the words to describe the entire experience. The most concrete symbol of the entire trip is Sue's little red rocking rocking chair.

When we returned from Georgia, everyone was sick. My grandmother even went into the hospital. My mother was out of work for two weeks. I was sent to recover with my Aunt Viola at 24 Sea View Manor or maybe she was still at 38.

Aunt Viola fancies herself a nurse though she has no credentials. Even now at 90, she wants to work in someone's hospital, but won't consider volunteering. "I need to get paid for what I do," she says.

I don't remember a whole lot about the recovery period, but I do remember being rubbed vigorously with the most vile, disgusting ointment. The jar was yellow and the product was called Musterole. It smelled too awful to forget. I did a little research and found this online at The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History.

The MUSTEROLE CO., manufacturer of a famous over-the-counter ointment, began in 1905 after pharmacist A. L. McLaren developed a mustard ointment at his Cedar and E. 97th St. drugstore. As the ointment's popularity grew, McLaren was unable to maintain his supply and eventually restricted its sale to regular customers. The mustard preparation's success convinced George Miller, owner of a nearby hardware store, to sell his store and invest in an expanded production and packaging facility for the product. After Miller and McLaren mobilized additional investors, the Musterole Co. was incorporated in 1907. The company soon moved to 4612 St. Clair and then to 1748 E. 27th St. The medication, known as Musterole, was used to relieve chest congestion, coughs, minor throat irritation, and muscle aches. Musterole was distributed throughout the U.S. and Canada as a convenient substitute for the old-fashioned mustard plaster and achieved worldwide distribution after World War I. The ointment remained a popular, locally produced proprietary medication until 1956, when Musterole was bought by the Plough Corp. of Tennessee and production facilities were moved to Memphis. After Plough merged with the Scherring Pharmaceutical Co. in 1970, the resulting Scherring-Plough Corp. continued to manufacture the product and offer it for sale.