Dr. Thomas' Eclectric Oil

Dr. Thomas' Eclectric Oil (also sold as Excelsior Eclectric Oil) was pain relief remedy and general cure-all created by S. N. Thomas in the 1860s. The formula was sold to Foster, Milburn & Co. in 1876, who continued to license and produce the oil into the early twentieth century.

Composition
A formula "similiar to Thomas" is given by "Fenner's complete formulary" (1889) as: "Camphor, &frac12; oz.; Oil Gaultheria, &frac12; oz.; Oil Origanum, &frac12; oz.; Chloroform, 1 oz.; Laudanum, 1 oz.; Oil Sassafras, 1 oz.; Oil Hemlock, 1 oz.; Oil Turpentine, 1 oz.; Balsam fir, 1 oz.; Tincture Guaiacum, 1 oz.; Tincture Catechu, 1 oz.; Alcohol, 4 pt.; Alkanet, sufficient to color."

Articles

 * "Canada's Least Valuable Patent Medicine Bottle" (dumpdiggers.blogspot.com) &mdash; a brief look at Eclectric Oil's history in Canada