Why have another book about old bottles? After all, there are many books on the subject, some of which you may well find to be better written and more interesting. That said, I don't believe any of those books focus only on Minnesota patent medicine bottles, and certainly none are limited to the topic of embossed bottles. There were many other companies and individuals bottling nostrums in those years, perhaps numbering in the thousands, but the associated bottles of the majority bore the identity of the maker and other information on often colorful and informative labels. On the other hand, the information blown into the glass of embossed bottles was almost entirely limited to the medicine name, occasionally the name of the maker and sometimes even the city of place of manufacture. The vast majority bore no information about date of production or the many facts, mundane, amusing or historically important, that tell the story of a very different Minnesota. I hope that this book will provide a peek behind the curtain of time and be of interest to the bottle digger, collector, antiquarian, historian or perhaps even an archeologist or two. The goal is both to fill in some of the blanks in our documented history and give a better view of an unregulated and often scurrilous industry. That said, it is not my purpose to examine or discuss the chemistry of the various concoctions. On occasion a passing reference to the content is made if the source material contained an analysis. Nearly all of the Minnesota Snake Oils were never analyzed other than to note the presence of alcohol, which was present in nearly all the nostrums. In most respects the Minnesota patent medicine industry was very much a part of the era of American quackery, but it is hoped that these short histories will bring to light some of the Minnesota peculiarities not found in the rest of the country. I hope you will enjoy reading it as much as I have researching and writing it.