In the time when soda fountains first appeared, much of the "medicine" sold was little more than "tonic water" so it was probably a natural thing for the pharmacist to have a "soda generator." Many of the "tonics" of the era really were little more than flavored high-proof (alcoholic) beverages, nipped as a "treatment" by little old ladies who weren't allowed in the saloon (if there was one).

(Several current soft drinks originated as "medicinals" with Coca Cola, as an example, originally being a fairly potent alcoholic beverage laced with cocaine. My recollection is that "Lydia Pinkhams" was around 80 proof(?). As late as the 40s or early 50s, the "modern" and nationally distributed tonic "Serutan" was banned in Kansas and eventually elsewhere - after lots of sales - since the alcohol content exceeded legal limits for sale except by licensed liquor sales outlets.)

Few of the grocers of the era, who handled bulk items, had the space or inclination to have people lounging around. A few of the "gentlemen" might sit around the stove and play some checkers, but the "ladies" were expected to get the shopping done and take the kids with them when they left.

The pharmacist was likely to be pretty much bored with waiting for someone to get sick; so adding on-site carbonated "social beverages," and ultimately ice cream, was a reasonable market diversification. The pharmacist usually also sold "root beer," likely home brewed, which varied in proof but was supposedly "good for you."

It also, according to some old-timers of my acquaintance, allowed people (women) to have an excuse to "hang around" until the opportunity presented itself to ask the pharmacist discreetly for "those things" ladies (and sometimes kids) didn't want to be heard mentioning, but which were "essential" to healthy(?) domestic tranquility.<sup>**

**</sup> None of the old-timers who raised this issue would discuss with me what "those things" were, so I had to use my imagination. Your imagination likely is as good as mine was when I was 8 or 9.

The saloon and the barbershop were off-limits to women. The grocery "tolerated them" to the extent necessary, but was a men's place - for the sober men, if there were any - so far as social gathering was concerned. That left the pharmacist as the only acceptable place to provide, or profit from, "social gathering" of women and children - hence that's where the soda fountain sprang up.

Or at least that's one interpretation.

John