"Indian Root Pills"

This is an iconic image from my childhood - This barn can be found near Morpeth which is a small village near Newcastle.
My parents had friends who lived not far away from this place and I remember it well as we would drive by it many times when I was a little girl.
It intrigued me - what were Indian Root Pills?
This barn and the sign has had its good days and bad over the years and I am glad to see that money has been spent to conserve it.
Many years ago I drove past it and the sign was hardly visible and the barn in terrible condition.
I could not resist painting it - it is one of those childhood memories that automatically can take me back to being 10 years old in a second.