opodeldoc—a camphorated liniment of soap mixed with alcohol
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animals . . . there—a reference to delirium tremens, in which hallucinatory visions of animals or insects is common. O. Henry was a heavy drinker in his later years (he probably died of complications of alcoholism) and might have experienced delirium tremens personally.
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Henry Rider Haggard (1856-1925) wrote novels set in exotic locations. His best known work is King Solomon's Mines (1885).
Lew Dockstader had one of the last major travelling minstrel companies and was its principal comedian.
Dr. Charles Henry Parkhurst (1842-1933), pastor of New York's Madison Square Presbyterian Church from 1880 to 1919, was noted for his denunciations of vice and governmental corruption. He was instrumental in the campaign against Tammany Hall.
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botts—a parasitic infestation of the intestines of animals, especially horses, by larvae of the botfly
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Homer K. . . . Ruby Ott—If the reader has not yet deciphered the references, he should consult Project Gutenberg's e-book #246 ([ https://www.gutenberg.org/etext/246])
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