nostrum \NOS-truhm\ , noun:
1. A medicine of secret composition and unproven or dubious effectiveness; a quack medicine.
2. A usually questionable remedy or scheme; a cure-all.
All the Ole Miss fans and pundits crowing over Houston Nutt's surprising first season at Ole Miss should look back to the quick turn around at Arkansas that immediately preceded an equally quick slide into mediocrity and non-bowl seasons before claiming the Nutt brand of nostrum will make Ole Miss a real power in the west.