Cowboy Cures & Prairie Potions: True Tales of Wild West Medicine

[INTRO MUSIC]

Howdy. Chip Schweiger, here. Welcome to another edition of Way Out West. 

The podcast that takes you on a journey through the stories of the American West, brings you the very best cowboy wisdom, and celebrates the cowboys and cowgirls—who are feeding a nation. 

Out here beneath the endless prairie sky, love and hardship rode side by side. On the frontier, every sunrise brought a new adventure—and sometimes, a fair bit of trouble.

When sickness struck or injury found its way onto the homestead, medicine was as much about hope as it was about herbs and healing hands. A cowboy might ride for miles to fetch a doctor, or a mother might brew up a remedy from roots and wildflowers she gathered herself. 

So today on the show, we’re riding back to those days—when a bottle of whiskey, a sprig of sage, and a whole lot of frontier grit were the tools that stood between hardship and healing. 

We’ll explore how, in the flickering light of a lantern, families placed their trust in homegrown cures, handed-down wisdom, and the rare, brave souls who dared to call themselves doctors on the edge of civilization.

After the episode, check out the show notes at WayOutWestPod.com/Wild-West-medicine

[Short Music Break]

Welcome back.

Today, we’re heading into the wild and woolly world of Western medicine. That’s right—we’re talking about frontier doctors, wild home remedies, and how cowboys and settlers managed to patch themselves up when the nearest hospital was a hundred dusty miles away. 

Before we saddle up and ride out today, though, I want to let you in on something special—Way Out West is about to hit a big milestone! 

That’s right, Episode 50 is right around the corner, and I’m planning something you won’t want to miss. I’ve been told that only 17% of podcasts ever reach 50 episodes, so this is big. 

But frankly, it’s a little hard to believe. From that very first episode to now, you’ve been riding along with me, and I can’t thank you enough for every listen, share, and story you’ve sent my way.

If you’ve got a favorite memory, a question about the Old West, or just want to say howdy, send it my way—I’d love to feature some of your stories and shoutouts in the big episode. And, we’ll pick a few folks and send ya a Way Out West gift pack. Coffee mug, hat and stuff like that. 

All ya have to do is send an e-mail to howdy@cowboyaccountant.com, or go to WayOutWestPod.com, where you can send me a message or even leave a voice message.

Ok, let’s explore the wild, and sometimes bizarre world of Western medicine.

Chapter 1 - Setting the Scene: Medicine on the Frontier

So, first let’s set the stage. It’s the late 1800s, and the American West is booming—ranches, mining camps, and little towns popping up all over. But if you got sick or busted up out here, you couldn’t just pop over to the local clinic. 

Nope, you relied on whatever help you could find—maybe a traveling doctor, maybe a neighbor with a knack for poultices, or maybe just your own grit and a bottle of whiskey.

Medicine on the frontier was a mix of old folk wisdom, a dash of science, and a whole lot of improvisation. Some remedies worked. Some…well, not so much.

Chapter 2 - Frontier Doctors: Heroes on Horseback 

Let’s talk about the doctors. These folks were a rare breed—part physician, part adventurer. They’d ride for miles to answer a call, carrying a leather bag full of mysterious tools and tonics. Most frontier towns were lucky if they had one doctor. And that doctor? 

Well, they did it all—setting broken bones, pulling teeth, delivering babies, and sometimes even acting as the local vet.

Take Dr. Susan Anderson—better known as “Doc Susie.” She was Colorado’s first female physician, riding into remote mountain towns through blizzards and floods to tend to her patients. 

Or Doc Holliday—yes, the same Doc Holliday I talked about in Episode 33, who became a legend at the O.K. Corral. Before he was a gambler and a gunfighter, he was a dentist.

Doctors had to get creative. They might use chloroform or ether for surgery—if they had it. If not? Well, a stiff drink and a stick to bite down on would have to do.

Chapter 3 - Home Remedies: Folk Cures and Cowboy Ingenuity 

Of course, most folks didn’t see a doctor unless things were dire. Instead, they relied on home remedies—passed down from parents or neighbors, or picked up from Native American traditions. Here’s a few of my favorites:

Whiskey and Turpentine: Got a toothache? Swish with whiskey. Sore muscles? Rub on turpentine.

How about Mustard Plasters: For chest colds, folks would mix up a paste of mustard and flour, slap it on a cloth, and lay it on your chest. It burned like the dickens, but some swore it worked.

There were also Spider Web Bandages: Out on the range, if you cut yourself, you might pack the wound with clean spider webs. They helped stop bleeding and were surprisingly effective.

And then there’s Willow Bark Tea: Headache or fever? Brew up some willow bark tea—nature’s original aspirin. And, this one? Well, willow bark is still popular today.

And finally Onion Poultices and Garlic Syrup: For coughs and colds, onions and garlic were the go-to cure. Sometimes you’d even wear a garlic necklace to ward off illness. (And probably your friends, too.)

Were these remedies always effective? Maybe not. But when you’re miles from the nearest town, you use what you’ve got.

Chapter 4 - Snake Oil and Traveling Medicine Shows 

Now, we can’t talk about Western medicine without mentioning the snake oil salesmen. These colorful characters would roll into town with a wagon full of “miracle cures”—elixirs, tonics, and potions that promised to fix everything from baldness to broken hearts.

Some of these remedies were harmless, a mix of herbs and alcohol. Others were downright dangerous, containing opium, mercury, or who-knows-what. But the medicine shows were a big event: music, magic tricks, and plenty of tall tales to get folks buying.

The term “snake oil” actually comes from a real Chinese remedy—oil made from the Chinese water snake, which does have anti-inflammatory properties. But Way Out West, “snake oil” became a catch-all for any dubious cure.

And if you want to learn more about snake oil salesmen and other infamous scams, tricksters, and tall tales that fooled frontier folk, check out Episode 31 when we’re finished here.

Ok, let’s take a real quick break, but when we come back we’ll talk about native American healing, Medical Myths and Tall Tales, and how medical emergencies were handled on the range.

Don’t wander off—be right back.

[Music]

Chapter 5 - Native American Healing: Wisdom from the Land

Welcome back. It’s important to mention that many settlers and cowboys learned from Native American healers. Tribes like the Navajo, Lakota, and Apache knew the land and its plants inside and out. They used willow bark, sage, echinacea, and more for everything from fevers to wounds.

Some of these remedies are still used today. In fact, a lot of what we know about herbal medicine comes straight from indigenous knowledge—passed down through generations.

Chapter 6 - True Tales: Medical Emergencies on the Range

Let’s share a couple of true stories:

The Broken Leg: Imagine a cowboy thrown from his horse, leg snapped clean. With no doctor for miles, his buddies would splint the leg with whatever was handy—sticks, bandanas, even a rifle if needed. Then they’d haul him back to camp, where whiskey and grit did most of the healing.

Snake Bite Survival: If you got bit by a rattlesnake, the old advice was to cut the wound and suck out the venom—not the best idea, but folks tried it. Some survived, some didn’t, but it made for a harrowing tale around the campfire.

Chapter 7 - The Lighter Side: Medical Myths and Tall Tales 

The West was full of wild medical beliefs. Some thought wearing red flannel would ward off pneumonia. Others believed in “cow chip tea” for stomach troubles (yep, it’s exactly what it sounds like). And then there was the old cowboy cure-all: “If you can’t fix it with whiskey, gunpowder, or bacon grease, it’s probably fatal.”

Chapter 8 - Medicine Moves Forward: From Frontier to Modern Day

Eventually, railroads and telegraphs brought better access to trained doctors, hospitals, and real medicine. Vaccines, antiseptics, and new surgical tools changed everything. But the spirit of cowboy ingenuity—and a little bit of home remedy magic—still lives on.

Today, folks in rural areas still rely on resourcefulness, neighborly help, and a good dose of common sense. And you’ll still find a bottle of whiskey in plenty of ranch medicine cabinets—including mine—just in case.

Chapter 9 – Wrap Up

So, next time you reach for an aspirin or visit your doctor, tip your hat to those frontier folks who made do with what they had—and sometimes, a little luck. Western medicine was rough, ready, and full of surprises.

OK, before we wrap up this week, we’ve got one more thing. And at this point, if you’ve been listening to enough episodes, you know what it is.

Chapter 10 - Cowboy Glossary 

[BULL SOUND]

Yep, that distinctive call from Buster the Bull means it’s time for the cowboy glossary term of the week. 

And today, the term is “Drag Rider”

A drag rider is the cowboy who rides at the back of the herd during a cattle drive, keeping stragglers moving and rounding up any animals that fall behind.

It’s a tough, dusty job—drag riders were often the greenhorns or lower in the pecking order, but it was a rite of passage for every cowboy.

[OUTRO MUSIC]

Chapter 11 – Thanks for Listening

Well, my friend, that’s all for this episode of Way Out West. 

Do you have a family remedy passed down from your grandparents? Or a wild story about getting patched up out on the ranch? I’d love to hear it! 

Share your stories with me on Instagram or Facebook—just tag @wayoutwestpod or use #WayOutWestPodcast, or send an e-mail to howdy@cowboyaccountant.com, or go to WayOutWestPod.com where you can send me a message or even leave a voice message.

Looking forward to your stories, and again, a reminder about Episode 50 coming up in just a few weeks.

If you enjoyed this episode, tune in next week for more stories from Way Out West.

This is Chip Schweiger reminding you to keep your boots dusty and your spirits high.

We’ll see y’all down the road.