Hidden Hazards in Everyday Products of the Past

Coca-Cola's original label listed cocaine as an active ingredient, while Bayer marketed heroin in 1898 as a non-addictive substitute for morphine. The product was sold over the counter until 1914 and came in formulations for children's coughs.

The Revigator, a ceramic crock, sat by the bedside and irradiated drinking water overnight, claiming curative properties from naturally radioactive spring water. However, users later developed radiation poisoning after consuming the radium-leached water for eight hours.

Dr. Batty's Asthma Cigarettes were marketed directly for respiratory conditions in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with physicians recommending them to patients. The packaging clearly stated what it was intended for, asthma relief.