Hey, It’s Better Than Leeches!
Historically, barbers, have served a somewhat larger purpose than they do today:
The barbers of former times were also surgeons and dentists. In addition to haircutting, hairdressing, and shaving, barbers performed surgery, bloodletting and leeching, fire cupping, enemas, and the extraction of teeth. Thus they were called barber surgeons, and they formed their first organization in 1094. The barber pole red and white in spiral indicated the two crafts, surgery in red and barbering in white. The barber was paid higher than the surgeon until surgeons were entered into British war ships during its many naval wars. Some of the duties of the barber included neck manipulation, cleaning of ears and scalp, draining of boils, fistula and lancing of cysts with wicks.
It seems that a barber in Pomona, CA is trying to revive the good old days, doing a bit of dabbling in pharmacology:
The owner of the “Groom Time” barber shop in Pomona was arrested today when police discovered he was offering trims, shaves, and prepackaged bags of marijuana from his shop.
…
Officers sniffed marijuana coming from a parked white 1993 Buick Le Sabre in an alley at the back of the barber shop, Becker said.
During a search of the car, officers found 35 grams of individually packaged marijuana baggies.
If he can’t successfully mount Shaggy’s “It wasn’t me” defense, perhaps he can stand up as a provider of alternative medicine.
