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.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
5 brain-busting cartoons about RFK Jr.Cartoons Artists take on candidate suitability, the Kennedy family, and more
-
Right to roam: the battle to access England's green spacesThe Explainer A battle is being fought over access to England's green spaces
-
Crossword: May 12, 2024The Week's daily crossword
-
Puffed rice and yoga: inside the collapsed tunnel where Indian workers await rescueSpeed Read Workers trapped in collapsed tunnel are suffering from dysentery and anxiety over their rescue
-
Gaza hospital blast: What the video evidence shows about who's to blameSpeed Read Nobody wants to take responsibility for the deadly explosion in the courtyard of Gaza's al-Ahli Hospital. Roll the tape.
-
Giraffe poo seized after woman wanted to use it to make a necklaceTall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
-
Helicopter sound arouses crocodilesTall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
-
Woman sues Disney over 'injurious wedgie'Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
-
Emotional support alligator turned away from baseball stadiumTall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
-
Europe's oldest shoes found in Spanish cavesTall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
-
Artworks stolen by Nazis returned to heirs of cabaret performerIt wasn't all bad Good news stories from the past seven days
