April 4, 2025 • 12 mins
In this episode of the Bell's Books and Blog Podcast, Author Jane M. Bell explores the stories behind historical cons and hoaxes, starting with the infamous snake oil scam. Initially a legitimate treatment brought by Chinese immigrants, the term 'snake oil' became synonymous with fraud due to Clark Stanley's deceptive marketing tactics. Bell then shifts focus to Coca-Cola's complex history, from its beginnings as a casualty of the U.S. Civil War to becoming a global powerhouse and American icon. Finally, she examines the rise and dramatic fall of Elizabeth Holmes, a Silicon Valley entrepreneur who deceived investors with faulty health technology, emphasizing the importance of skepticism and thorough validation.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome to The Bell's Books and Blog podcast, the place
where history, mystery, and suspense converge. I'm your host, author
Jane M. Bell. This past Tuesday marked the start of
a new month with April Fool's Day, a day that
goes beyond harmless pranks and whoopy cushions. It's a celebration
of deception, misdirection, and the art of the can And
(00:25):
what better way to honor the spirit of the trickster
than by diving into some great historical hoaxes, hustles, and
half truths. Today we'll uncover the shocking stories behind some
curious cons from the infamous snake oil scam and Coca
Cola's controversial history to the jaw dropping fall of Silicon
Valley's own Elizabeth Holmes. Stay tuned, because this April Fool's Week,
(00:47):
the truth is stranger than fiction. Let's kick things off
by talking about one of the most enduring symbols of fraud,
the snake oil salesman. You've probably heard this term thrown
around to describe someone who pedals fake remedies and false promises.
But where does it come from and what's the real
story behind it? Initially, snake oil was not a scam
(01:08):
at all. Its origins can be traced back to Chinese
immigrants in the nineteenth century. They brought with them traditional medicine,
including snake oil extracted from Chinese water snakes. This oil
was rich in Omega three fatty acids and effectively treated
joint pain and inflammation. When Chinese laborers came to the
US to work on the Transcontinental Railroad, they used snake
(01:31):
oil to soothe their sore muscles after long, grueling days
of work. Enter Clark Stanley, the man who would turn
snake oil into a synonym for fraud. Known as the
Rattlesnake King, Stanley saw an opportunity to capitalize on the
effectiveness of Chinese snake oil. At the eighteen ninety three
Chicago World's Fair, he performed dramatic shows where he claimed
(01:53):
to make his ultra effective snake oil lineament by slicing
open live rattlesnakes and tossing them into boiling water. Spectators
were mesmerized and the bottles sold out instantly. The only problem,
his so called miracle cure had no snake oil in
it at all. When federal investigators tested Clark Stanley's snake
oil lineament. They found it contained not a single trace
(02:15):
of snake oil. Instead, it was a mix of mineral oil,
beef fat, red pepper, and turpentine. Despite this fraudulent concoction,
he was only fined twenty dollars, an amount wofully inadequate
to reflect the harm his deception had caused. Yet his
scam had a lasting impact. The term snake oil salesman
continues to symbolize deceitful marketing and hollow promises to this day.
(02:38):
This fraudulent use of snake oil wasn't just an isolated incident.
It was part of a broader trend of so called
miracle cures and patent medicines flooding America in the late
nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. These often contained harmful substances
like alcohol, opium, or cocaine, and provided no real medicinal benefits. Thankfully,
(02:59):
the Pure Food and Drug Act of nineteen oh six
began to crack down on these unregulated and dangerous substances,
but the damage to snake oil's reputation was already done. Thus,
a once effective treatment became infamous for fraud. Today, the
phrase snake oil salesman conjures up images of deceit, thanks
largely to figures like Clark Stanley and the unregulated market
(03:20):
of the time. Ironically, modern studies confirm that real Chinese
snake oil did work as an anti inflammatory, but because
of greed and deception, history remembers the scam more than
the cure, and that, dear listeners, is the twisted tale
of snake oil. Now let's switch gears and dive into
another fascinating tale of deception and marketing wizardry, the history
(03:42):
of Coca Cola. When we think of Coca cola, we
often think of it as a sugary, fizzy beverage that's
synonymous with American culture, But its origins are much more
complicated and dare I say controversial. The story begins in
April of eighteen sixty five, during the final moments of
the US Civil War in Columbus Georgia, Confederate Colonel John
(04:03):
Pemberton suffered a severe saber wound to the chest. Doctors
administered morphine to manage his pain, a practice that was
all too common at the time. While Pemberton survived his injuries, he,
like many veterans, became addicted to the painkiller. In an
attempt to wean himself off morphine, Pemberton turned to chemistry.
He started experimenting with a popular French remedy called coca wine,
(04:26):
a tonic made from a mix of alcohol and cocaine.
The result of his experimentation was a drink he named
Pemberton's French Wine Coca Nerve Tonic, promising relief from headaches,
nerve disorders, and even impotence. However, with the rise of
prohibition laws in Georgia, Pemberton had to drop the wine
from his concoction. He replaced it with a sugary syrup,
(04:50):
but he kept the cocaine, thus giving birth to what
we now know as coca cola. At its inception, each
serving contained about nine milligrams of cocaine. It was marketed
as a medicinal tonic and sold at soda fountains in pharmacies,
touted as a cure for various ailments. Fast forward a
bit and we meet Asa Candler, the man credited with
(05:11):
transforming coca cola from a local tonic into a global powerhouse. Candler,
a marketing genius, systematically bought out all other stakeholders in
Coca cola gaining total control of the brand for around
three thousand dollars. By eighteen ninety one, he was the
sole owner, and he used his business acumen to skyrocket
its popularity. Candler developed some groundbreaking advertising campaigns to push
(05:35):
Coca Cola into the mainstream. He was the brains behind
the creation of the Coca Cola logo in flowing Spencerian script,
a design that has become one of the most recognizable
symbols in the world. He also invented the concept of coupons,
handing out tokens for free samples of Coca Cola to
introduce new customers to the product. This was essentially the
(05:56):
world's first coupon marketing campaign. By plastering the Coca Cola
name on everything from store signs to newspapers, he laid
the foundation for modern brand marketing. One of Coca Cola's
most iconic advertising campaigns was the creation of the modern
Santa Claus. Looking to boost winter sails, Coca Cola commissioned
artist had in Sunbloom to design a jolly, red suited Santa.
(06:19):
Before this, Santa had been depicted in various colors and styles.
Coca Cola's version became the definitive image of Santa Claus,
forever linking him with the brand. During World War Two,
Coca Cola wasn't just a soft drink. It became a
symbol of American patriotism. Company president Robert Woodruff declared that
every US soldier should have access to a cold coke,
(06:41):
no matter where they were stationed. To make this happen,
Coca Cola built sixty four bottling plants across war zones,
ensuring that troops from Europe to the Pacific could enjoy
a taste of home. This effort only cemented Coca Cola's
reputation as the drink of freedom and democracy. Interestingly, the
or indirectly led to the creation of another popular drink, Fanta.
(07:05):
When the Nazis cut off Coca Cola syrup imports to Germany,
the German division had to improvise. Using available ingredients. They
created Fanta, a drink that remains popular to this day.
So where are we now? Coca Cola is more than
just a drink. It's a cultural icon, available in virtually
every country around the globe, except North Korea and Cuba,
(07:26):
where it's banned, But even in those nations you can
find it on the black market. Here are some mind
blowing facts. Each day, one point nine billion servings of
Coca Cola are consumed. The brand's total assets exceed ninety
billion dollars, more than Pepsi and Nike combined. And here's
a fun tidbit. In blind taste tests, most people prefer Pepsi,
(07:48):
but when they see the label, they overwhelmingly choose Coca Cola.
That's the power of branding. From a battlefield wound and
a French Coca wine tonic to a global empire, the
history of Coca Zcola is as effervescent as the drink itself,
now shifting gears from historical hoaxes to the modern tech world.
(08:08):
Let's delve into the story of Elizabeth Holmes and her company, Thearranose,
a tale of ambition, deception, and downfall. Elizabeth Holmes burst
onto the scene with an ambitious vision to revolutionize the
health care industry. Dropping out of Stanford at just nineteen
years old, she claimed she could change the way medical
tests were conducted. Her company, Thearranose, promised to perform hundreds
(08:30):
of medical tests with just a single drop of blood.
Sounds like a game changer, right, Holmes wasn't just another
college dropout with big dreams. She was a masterful storyteller.
Her vision captured the imagination of investors and the media alike.
With her black turtlenecks and deep, authoritative voice, she styled
herself as the next Steve Jobs, an innovator who would
(08:52):
reshape healthcare. Theranos's promise was indeed alluring. Quick, cheap, and
less invasive blood tests could detect a myriad of diseases
almost instantly. Holmes assured everyone that her technology worked flawlessly.
Investors bought into the dream, pouring nearly a billion dollars
into her company. By twenty fifteen, Elizabeth Holmes was a
(09:14):
Silicon Valley superstar, her image gracing magazine covers and her
net worth skyrocketed to four point five billion dollars. But
behind the scenes, all was not what it seemed. Despite
the sleek storefronts and sophisticated machines, the technology at Thernose
was deeply flawed. The devices often produced wildly inaccurate results,
(09:35):
putting patients lives at risk. Homes and her team hid
these flaws, using traditional lab equipment to fake the impressive
results they claimed were produced by their proprietary machines. The
unraveling began when investigative journalist John Carirew from The Wall
Street Journal started digging. His expose in twenty fifteen, unveiled
the depths of Theronose's deception. Not only were the test
(09:58):
results faked, but the company's practices were putting countless patients
in jeopardy. Carrireu's investigations sparked a rapid cascade of legal
troubles and public outrage. Suddenly, the walls came crashing down.
The once celebrated company fell apart amid lawsuits, federal investigations,
and corporate backstabbing. By twenty eighteen, Theronose was dissolved and
(10:21):
Holmes faced charges of wire fraud and conspiracy. The woman
who had been poised to change the world saw her
net worth plummet to zero and face the possibility of
twenty years in prison. The Thernose Debacle is a stark
reminder of the dangers of unchecked ambition and the seductive
power of a compelling narrative. It's a cautionary tale for
(10:41):
Silicon Valley, a place fueled by dreams and sometimes dangerous delusions.
Holmes's story underscores the importance of skepticism the need for
rigorous testing and validation, especially in fields like health care
where lives are at stake. So the next time you
hear about a revolutionary new technology, remember the lessons from Farranose,
(11:03):
dig deeper, ask questions, and always be wary of claims
that seem too good to be true. That brings us
to the end of today's episode. Let's recap what we've covered,
from the fascinating story of how snake oil went from
a legitimate remedy to a byword for fraud, to the
rich history of Coca Cola and its journey from a
Civil War battlefield to becoming a global icon, and finally,
(11:26):
the rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes and Thearranose, a
cautionary tale from Silicon Valley. If you enjoyed today's episode,
you'll find more intriguing stories and reading recommendations on the blog.
We've got everything from historical mysteries to psychological thrillers, so
there's something for everyone. I'd love to hear your thoughts
(11:46):
and comments on today's stories, so feel free to send
me a message. Your feedback always makes my day. Don't
forget you can now tune into The Bells Books and
Blog podcast on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, Deezer, iHeartRadio,
Geosavin Podcast, Addict, Podchaser, Spotify, and Spreaker, so find us
(12:08):
on your favorite podcast platform. Thanks for joining me today.
This is author Jane M. Bell signing off from The
Bells Books and Blog podcast until next week. Keep questioning,
keep exploring, keep reading, and most importantly, keep the past
alive
Welcome to The Bell's Books and Blog podcast, the place
where history, mystery, and suspense converge. I'm your host, author
Jane M. Bell. This past Tuesday marked the start of
a new month with April Fool's Day, a day that
goes beyond harmless pranks and whoopy cushions. It's a celebration
of deception, misdirection, and the art of the can And
(00:25):
what better way to honor the spirit of the trickster
than by diving into some great historical hoaxes, hustles, and
half truths. Today we'll uncover the shocking stories behind some
curious cons from the infamous snake oil scam and Coca
Cola's controversial history to the jaw dropping fall of Silicon
Valley's own Elizabeth Holmes. Stay tuned, because this April Fool's Week,
(00:47):
the truth is stranger than fiction. Let's kick things off
by talking about one of the most enduring symbols of fraud,
the snake oil salesman. You've probably heard this term thrown
around to describe someone who pedals fake remedies and false promises.
But where does it come from and what's the real
story behind it? Initially, snake oil was not a scam
(01:08):
at all. Its origins can be traced back to Chinese
immigrants in the nineteenth century. They brought with them traditional medicine,
including snake oil extracted from Chinese water snakes. This oil
was rich in Omega three fatty acids and effectively treated
joint pain and inflammation. When Chinese laborers came to the
US to work on the Transcontinental Railroad, they used snake
(01:31):
oil to soothe their sore muscles after long, grueling days
of work. Enter Clark Stanley, the man who would turn
snake oil into a synonym for fraud. Known as the
Rattlesnake King, Stanley saw an opportunity to capitalize on the
effectiveness of Chinese snake oil. At the eighteen ninety three
Chicago World's Fair, he performed dramatic shows where he claimed
(01:53):
to make his ultra effective snake oil lineament by slicing
open live rattlesnakes and tossing them into boiling water. Spectators
were mesmerized and the bottles sold out instantly. The only problem,
his so called miracle cure had no snake oil in
it at all. When federal investigators tested Clark Stanley's snake
oil lineament. They found it contained not a single trace
(02:15):
of snake oil. Instead, it was a mix of mineral oil,
beef fat, red pepper, and turpentine. Despite this fraudulent concoction,
he was only fined twenty dollars, an amount wofully inadequate
to reflect the harm his deception had caused. Yet his
scam had a lasting impact. The term snake oil salesman
continues to symbolize deceitful marketing and hollow promises to this day.
(02:38):
This fraudulent use of snake oil wasn't just an isolated incident.
It was part of a broader trend of so called
miracle cures and patent medicines flooding America in the late
nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. These often contained harmful substances
like alcohol, opium, or cocaine, and provided no real medicinal benefits. Thankfully,
(02:59):
the Pure Food and Drug Act of nineteen oh six
began to crack down on these unregulated and dangerous substances,
but the damage to snake oil's reputation was already done. Thus,
a once effective treatment became infamous for fraud. Today, the
phrase snake oil salesman conjures up images of deceit, thanks
largely to figures like Clark Stanley and the unregulated market
(03:20):
of the time. Ironically, modern studies confirm that real Chinese
snake oil did work as an anti inflammatory, but because
of greed and deception, history remembers the scam more than
the cure, and that, dear listeners, is the twisted tale
of snake oil. Now let's switch gears and dive into
another fascinating tale of deception and marketing wizardry, the history
(03:42):
of Coca Cola. When we think of Coca cola, we
often think of it as a sugary, fizzy beverage that's
synonymous with American culture, But its origins are much more
complicated and dare I say controversial. The story begins in
April of eighteen sixty five, during the final moments of
the US Civil War in Columbus Georgia, Confederate Colonel John
(04:03):
Pemberton suffered a severe saber wound to the chest. Doctors
administered morphine to manage his pain, a practice that was
all too common at the time. While Pemberton survived his injuries, he,
like many veterans, became addicted to the painkiller. In an
attempt to wean himself off morphine, Pemberton turned to chemistry.
He started experimenting with a popular French remedy called coca wine,
(04:26):
a tonic made from a mix of alcohol and cocaine.
The result of his experimentation was a drink he named
Pemberton's French Wine Coca Nerve Tonic, promising relief from headaches,
nerve disorders, and even impotence. However, with the rise of
prohibition laws in Georgia, Pemberton had to drop the wine
from his concoction. He replaced it with a sugary syrup,
(04:50):
but he kept the cocaine, thus giving birth to what
we now know as coca cola. At its inception, each
serving contained about nine milligrams of cocaine. It was marketed
as a medicinal tonic and sold at soda fountains in pharmacies,
touted as a cure for various ailments. Fast forward a
bit and we meet Asa Candler, the man credited with
(05:11):
transforming coca cola from a local tonic into a global powerhouse. Candler,
a marketing genius, systematically bought out all other stakeholders in
Coca cola gaining total control of the brand for around
three thousand dollars. By eighteen ninety one, he was the
sole owner, and he used his business acumen to skyrocket
its popularity. Candler developed some groundbreaking advertising campaigns to push
(05:35):
Coca Cola into the mainstream. He was the brains behind
the creation of the Coca Cola logo in flowing Spencerian script,
a design that has become one of the most recognizable
symbols in the world. He also invented the concept of coupons,
handing out tokens for free samples of Coca Cola to
introduce new customers to the product. This was essentially the
(05:56):
world's first coupon marketing campaign. By plastering the Coca Cola
name on everything from store signs to newspapers, he laid
the foundation for modern brand marketing. One of Coca Cola's
most iconic advertising campaigns was the creation of the modern
Santa Claus. Looking to boost winter sails, Coca Cola commissioned
artist had in Sunbloom to design a jolly, red suited Santa.
(06:19):
Before this, Santa had been depicted in various colors and styles.
Coca Cola's version became the definitive image of Santa Claus,
forever linking him with the brand. During World War Two,
Coca Cola wasn't just a soft drink. It became a
symbol of American patriotism. Company president Robert Woodruff declared that
every US soldier should have access to a cold coke,
(06:41):
no matter where they were stationed. To make this happen,
Coca Cola built sixty four bottling plants across war zones,
ensuring that troops from Europe to the Pacific could enjoy
a taste of home. This effort only cemented Coca Cola's
reputation as the drink of freedom and democracy. Interestingly, the
or indirectly led to the creation of another popular drink, Fanta.
(07:05):
When the Nazis cut off Coca Cola syrup imports to Germany,
the German division had to improvise. Using available ingredients. They
created Fanta, a drink that remains popular to this day.
So where are we now? Coca Cola is more than
just a drink. It's a cultural icon, available in virtually
every country around the globe, except North Korea and Cuba,
(07:26):
where it's banned, But even in those nations you can
find it on the black market. Here are some mind
blowing facts. Each day, one point nine billion servings of
Coca Cola are consumed. The brand's total assets exceed ninety
billion dollars, more than Pepsi and Nike combined. And here's
a fun tidbit. In blind taste tests, most people prefer Pepsi,
(07:48):
but when they see the label, they overwhelmingly choose Coca Cola.
That's the power of branding. From a battlefield wound and
a French Coca wine tonic to a global empire, the
history of Coca Zcola is as effervescent as the drink itself,
now shifting gears from historical hoaxes to the modern tech world.
(08:08):
Let's delve into the story of Elizabeth Holmes and her company, Thearranose,
a tale of ambition, deception, and downfall. Elizabeth Holmes burst
onto the scene with an ambitious vision to revolutionize the
health care industry. Dropping out of Stanford at just nineteen
years old, she claimed she could change the way medical
tests were conducted. Her company, Thearranose, promised to perform hundreds
(08:30):
of medical tests with just a single drop of blood.
Sounds like a game changer, right, Holmes wasn't just another
college dropout with big dreams. She was a masterful storyteller.
Her vision captured the imagination of investors and the media alike.
With her black turtlenecks and deep, authoritative voice, she styled
herself as the next Steve Jobs, an innovator who would
(08:52):
reshape healthcare. Theranos's promise was indeed alluring. Quick, cheap, and
less invasive blood tests could detect a myriad of diseases
almost instantly. Holmes assured everyone that her technology worked flawlessly.
Investors bought into the dream, pouring nearly a billion dollars
into her company. By twenty fifteen, Elizabeth Holmes was a
(09:14):
Silicon Valley superstar, her image gracing magazine covers and her
net worth skyrocketed to four point five billion dollars. But
behind the scenes, all was not what it seemed. Despite
the sleek storefronts and sophisticated machines, the technology at Thernose
was deeply flawed. The devices often produced wildly inaccurate results,
(09:35):
putting patients lives at risk. Homes and her team hid
these flaws, using traditional lab equipment to fake the impressive
results they claimed were produced by their proprietary machines. The
unraveling began when investigative journalist John Carirew from The Wall
Street Journal started digging. His expose in twenty fifteen, unveiled
the depths of Theronose's deception. Not only were the test
(09:58):
results faked, but the company's practices were putting countless patients
in jeopardy. Carrireu's investigations sparked a rapid cascade of legal
troubles and public outrage. Suddenly, the walls came crashing down.
The once celebrated company fell apart amid lawsuits, federal investigations,
and corporate backstabbing. By twenty eighteen, Theronose was dissolved and
(10:21):
Holmes faced charges of wire fraud and conspiracy. The woman
who had been poised to change the world saw her
net worth plummet to zero and face the possibility of
twenty years in prison. The Thernose Debacle is a stark
reminder of the dangers of unchecked ambition and the seductive
power of a compelling narrative. It's a cautionary tale for
(10:41):
Silicon Valley, a place fueled by dreams and sometimes dangerous delusions.
Holmes's story underscores the importance of skepticism the need for
rigorous testing and validation, especially in fields like health care
where lives are at stake. So the next time you
hear about a revolutionary new technology, remember the lessons from Farranose,
(11:03):
dig deeper, ask questions, and always be wary of claims
that seem too good to be true. That brings us
to the end of today's episode. Let's recap what we've covered,
from the fascinating story of how snake oil went from
a legitimate remedy to a byword for fraud, to the
rich history of Coca Cola and its journey from a
Civil War battlefield to becoming a global icon, and finally,
(11:26):
the rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes and Thearranose, a
cautionary tale from Silicon Valley. If you enjoyed today's episode,
you'll find more intriguing stories and reading recommendations on the blog.
We've got everything from historical mysteries to psychological thrillers, so
there's something for everyone. I'd love to hear your thoughts
(11:46):
and comments on today's stories, so feel free to send
me a message. Your feedback always makes my day. Don't
forget you can now tune into The Bells Books and
Blog podcast on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, Deezer, iHeartRadio,
Geosavin Podcast, Addict, Podchaser, Spotify, and Spreaker, so find us
(12:08):
on your favorite podcast platform. Thanks for joining me today.
This is author Jane M. Bell signing off from The
Bells Books and Blog podcast until next week. Keep questioning,
keep exploring, keep reading, and most importantly, keep the past
alive
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