According to the Medico-Pharmaceutical Critic and Guide (1907), edited by William J. Robinson:
We have referred in the past to the economy which used to be practiced by our fore-fathers. Thus, for instance, it was customary to use leeches over and over again and there are instances of infection with syphilis by leeches that had been previously used on luetic patients. But we believe that the everlasting cathartic pill beats everything in the line of economy. This pill was a little bullet composed of metallic antimony which had or was believed to have the property of purging as often as it was swallowed. It is not conceivable that it might have had such property, for it is possible that a minute amount was dissolved by the gastro-intestinal juices and this amount, plus the suggestion, was sufficient to produce cathartic action. Then again the everlasting pill probably aided peristalsis by its mechanical weight and motion. The bullet was passed out, recovered from the feces and used over and over again. This, as Dr. J. A. Paris says, was economy in right earnest, for a single pill would serve a whole family during their lives and might be transmitted as an heirloom to posterity.
The "everlasting antimony pill" is mentioned by Dr. Stephen Maturin in The Ionian Mission. Photo from Physick.
Wonder if that's how Wonka's Everlasting Gobstopper worked?
Posted by: Jake Holmes | July 07, 2009 at 09:14 PM
I immediately think of a number of people in the news and in broadcasting I'd nominate for the title of /Everlasting Pill/, and for all the same reasons as the antimony one, except for not being metallic.
Posted by: Marco McClean | July 08, 2009 at 05:09 PM
Reminds me of that watch in Pulp Fiction.
Posted by: Daniel | July 11, 2009 at 09:38 AM
Wow. Heirloom pill. Swallow this son, and shat it out. Just as I did before you and grandpappy before me. That's right, that bitter taste on your tongue now that you've swallowed it is the knowledge that you've just swallowed something that once came out of your grandpa's ass.
For ten long years.
Posted by: robot makes music | July 11, 2009 at 12:53 PM
Eeeeewwwwwww that is totally disgusting....... Might as well just eat poo
Posted by: Denise | July 13, 2009 at 12:55 PM