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Snake oil salesman did not really deserve their bad rep
I don't know - somehow snake oil salesmen and an article about them seems appropriate in this political climate. Anyhow, believe it or not, snake oil is beneficial and Americans learned so from Chinese laborers who rubbed it on their sore bodies after a day laying track for the railroads.
"In the 1860s, Chinese laborers immigrated to the United States to work on the Transcontinental Railroad. At night, they would rub their sore, tired muscles with ointment made from Chinese water snake (Enhydris chinensis), an ancient Chinese remedy they shared with their American co-workers."
Interesting history:
http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/how-snake-oil-got-a-bad-rap/
