# mystery pill

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-pill/44771>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 9, 2000, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-pill/44771 "2000-12-09T16:49:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![sunrise\_4836](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ab097/32.png) [@sunrise\_4836](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunrise_4836)\
**Post date:** [December 9, 2000, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-pill/44771/1 "2000-12-09T16:49:21Z")

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Ben Franklin said “if you take a pill of Turpentine your urine will smell like violets.” Why would you take a pill of Turpentine? Is this common still today?

Thanks

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**Author:** ![scratch1300](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@scratch1300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scratch1300)\
**Post date:** [December 9, 2000, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-pill/44771/2 "2000-12-09T17:36:56Z")

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I wouldn’t trust **Turpentine** to medicate _me_, that’s for sure! Why, do you realize he once wrote a letter to Kotex asking why they didn’t use _red_ liquid instead of blue to demonstrate how their products worked?

The man is certifiable.

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**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\
**Post date:** [December 9, 2000, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-pill/44771/3 "2000-12-09T17:52:35Z")

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It does have a history of use in folk medicine, both in topical and internal (!) preparations:

[http://www.rx.com/reference/natural/Turpentine\_Oil.jhtml](http://www.rx.com/reference/natural/Turpentine_Oil.jhtml)

> [@](#):
>
> In commercially prepared extracts in cough and cold remedies it serves as a stimulating expectorant to help expel phlegm (mucus). Other reported uses for spirits of turpentine include as a carminative (for excess gas), diuretic (“water pill”), colic remedy, and diarrhea treatment.

God knows what they thought it was good for in Franklin’s day. Somebody else may, too, and enlighten us.

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**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\
**Post date:** [December 9, 2000, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-pill/44771/4 "2000-12-09T17:57:21Z")

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Turpentine and sugar was taken as recently as 50 years ago for worms.

What i want to know is what violets smell like. I have tried but i can’t get any scent from them.

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**Author:** ![red\_dragon60](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ce73a5/32.png) [@red\_dragon60](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/red_dragon60)\
**Post date:** [December 9, 2000, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-pill/44771/5 "2000-12-09T18:13:22Z")

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Hijack-  
Violets do not have any smell. They have a compound in them which actually numbs the sense of smell for a few minutes. Try it sometime, it’s fun to play with.

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**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\
**Post date:** [December 9, 2000, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-pill/44771/6 "2000-12-09T20:20:10Z")

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[bigger hijack]

Well, I always thought that C’thulu sort of liked me. Here’s to the Nymph of the Woods With A Thousand Young!

[/bigger hijack]

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**Author:** ![Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Some_Guy)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 2000, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-pill/44771/7 "2000-12-10T00:58:46Z")

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[really gigantic hijack]  
Erm, you mean Shub-Niggurath, the Black Goat of the Woods With a Thousand Young? Of course you did.

\*\*\*Iä! Iä! \*\*\*

[sub][sup]huh? turpentine? what?!?[/sup][/sub]

[/really gigantic hijack]

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**Author:** ![Homer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/df788c/32.png) [@Homer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homer)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 2000, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-pill/44771/8 "2000-12-10T01:44:21Z")

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You know, Turpentine is a GAL. Pure lay-dee!

–Tim