Snake Oil is a wonderful pain-destroying compound; the strongest and best liniment known for the cure of all pain and lameness.  Its healing properties, just as that of leeches*, have been covered up by the medical industry.  It also makes a great pheromone perfume that drives the women wild, and enlarges your genitalia by three to nine inches.  Makes hair grow too.

''Something that doesn't work because I don't believe in it.''  Actually, something that doesn't work, period.  Something that cannot work, but implicitly is attempting to bamboozle enough people that it doesn't matter.  If it did work, it couldn't be SnakeOil.

[*] Actually, leeches are used in conventional medicine. Their saliva contains an anticoagulant which makes them useful in certain types of surgery. ''so are maggots#''

* I've heard -- from a registered nurse -- that leeches are used on the extremities of some people with casts -- to improve circulation.

** Leeches are also used when there is extensive localized damage to the circulatory system, so that blood flows to an area of the body but cannot flow out again.  The tissues bloat and the blood coagulates and breaks down, interfering with recovery and heightening the risk of infection.  The leeches are used to remove the pooling blood, so that the body can maintain a more healthy environment for healing.  They detach themselves when they have had enough to eat.  Neat, eh?  Of course, don't try it at home; medicinal leeches are raised in a carefully controlled environment, and are supposed to be among the healthiest creatures alive.  The problem with leeches in the wild is a danger of infection or transmission, not really the blood loss.  Not that I want one on me!

[#] Maggots only eat dead flesh - very useful for cleaning areas of dead and decaying flesh. Again, they are raised in completely sterile environments, and so are disease-free. Pop them into the area (often a cavity) that needs cleaning, then carefully bandage up. Change bandages and remove/replace them every 2 or 3 days.