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.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
6 sun-drenched homes by the seaFeature Featuring a large patio overlooking the ocean in Laguna Beach and a marble rainfall shower in Norwalk
-
Is China winning the AI race?Today's Big Question Or is it playing a different game than the US?
-
5 refreshing podcasts you may have missed this springThe Week Recommends Exploring the cultural impact of Jerry Springer, a look at contemporary spending habits and more
-
Trump says Putin vowed retaliation for Kyiv strikespeed read The Russian president intends to respond to Ukraine's weekend drone strikes on Moscow's warplanes
-
Dutch government falls over immigration policyspeed read The government collapsed after anti-immigration politician Geert Wilders quit the right-wing coalition
-
South Korea elects liberal Lee as presidentspeed read Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party, was elected president following months of political instability in the wake of Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment
-
Nationalist wins tight Polish presidential electionspeed read Karol Nawrocki beat Rafal Trzaskowski in Poland's presidential runoff election
-
Ukraine hits Russia's bomber fleet in stealth drone attackspeed read The operation, which destroyed dozens of warplanes, is the 'biggest blow of the war against Moscow's long-range bomber fleet'
-
Starving Gazans overrun US-backed food aid hubspeed read Israeli troops fired warning shots at the Palestinians
-
Israel's Western allies pull back amid Gaza escalationspeed read Britain and the EU are reconsidering allegiance with Israel as the Gaza siege continues
-
Trump drops ceasefire demand after Putin callspeed read Following a phone call with Russia's president, Trump backed off an earlier demand that Putin agree to an immediate ceasefire with Ukraine
