The phrase likely came from turn of the century husksters selling to ill informed pioneers and poor farmers cures and lotions that were an exotic fabrication
What I would give for one of those perfectly preserved bottles of snake oil today? The historical value is priceless... a piece of Americana Michael B.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ANTIQUE-BOTTLE-...oryZ4069QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem http://cgi.ebay.com/Full-MILLERS-OI...oryZ4069QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
LOL. Look at all the men that bought that bottle on that link. He keeps selling it over and over. LOL. All the men who have a "user ID kept private" on the guy's website auction "feedback reviews" section bought a bottle of that snake oil. LOL. He probably filled that little half oz. bottle with canola cooking oil. He charges 14.00 shipping and .99 cents for the oil. LOL. Those dudes have issues and problems. I can just see them waiting by their mailboxes everyday, hoping the mailman delivers their snake oil. Then they run in the bathroom and do what the instructions say. I can picture it now. Those guys are rubbing that snake oil their weiners for 15 minutes every day. ROFL. ROFL>