An actual 'chill pill' existed in the 1800s

Pills and capsules
(Image credit: iStock)

Remember the '90s, when your snarky friends suggested you solve all of your problems by taking a "chill pill"? Atlas Obscura does, too, and they just took a fascinating look at the history of the term.

In the 1800s, multiple books featured different recipes for a "chill pill" you could make at home, suggesting it would relieve your fever-induced chills when taken multiple times per day. The wonderfully named Non-Secret Formulas included a recipe for quinine, cinchona, and oil of black pepper.

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Julie Kliegman

Julie Kliegman is a freelance writer based in New York. Her work has appeared in BuzzFeed, Vox, Mental Floss, Paste, the Tampa Bay Times and PolitiFact. Her cats can do somersaults.