Snake oil salesmen take centre stage on Sunday, June 29, as Hazardous History with Henry Winkler turns its spotlight to America’s dark medical past. The episode, titled “Mad Medicine,” airs at 10:03 PM ET on History.
This week’s focus: the wild era of unregulated health cures. Before the FDA, anyone with a label and a bottle could claim a miracle. Cigarettes as asthma treatment. Cocaine-laced tonics for headaches. Children dosed with alcohol. Henry Winkler walks viewers through the chaos with a mix of curiosity and disbelief, unpacking how these so-called remedies became mainstream.
The episode doesn’t hold back on the absurdity. From radioactive water to heroin cough syrup, “Mad Medicine” charts a time when desperation met exploitation. No scientific backing. No safety testing. Just promises and profits.
Winkler’s approach helps the material land. He keeps it brisk and watchable, even when the subject matter veers into stomach-churning territory. Hazardous History is part documentary, part cautionary tale. It highlights how far modern medicine has come, and how often public trust was abused in the name of science.
“Mad Medicine” is episode five in the eight-part series. Other instalments have explored flammable fashion, dangerous toys, and past political stunts. But this one hits closest to home, given how easily false hope used to be bottled and sold.
