"Take one kerosene cube and call me in the morning."

Researching the social history of our ancestors is interesting and can tickle the funny-bone. Makes you wonder fifty years down the road, we are doing now that will amuse our great-grandchildren – the clothes, for sure – always the clothes. But what about our daily life and the things we take for granted, what new medicines will make the common pill a primitive treatment? In her article, "Medicine in Rural Appalachia," Melissa Slate takes an incredulous look at home remedies from days gone by, and while it may seem shocking and amusing all at once, it is also enlightening, helping us to better understand and appreciate our ancestors.