It is well understood by any one who proclaims the discovery of a new medicine for any disease, that his day of prosperity must necessarily be short. He knows that his medicine, whatever amount of popular favor it may acquire, will soon be supplanted by some other _newly_-discovered preparation. He must, therefore, make the most of his time. Accordingly, as soon as he succeeds in getting his name up by certificates, advertisements, &c., he throws as large quantities as possible of his medicine into market, and has but little care for the quality of the materials of which it is made. Great quantities of sarsaparilla and other articles which have been damaged, or have become inert by age, are constantly used up in this way, furnishing a profitable outlet for the refuse, which accumulates annually in the shops of the dealers in such articles. Large amounts, too, of adulterated articles are used in the manufacture of quack remedies. Another imposition of a kindred character deserves a passing notice. When any particular article is high in favor with the public, every empiric incorporates it into the _name_ which he gives to his medicine, in order to ensure its popularity, though there may be little, perhaps none, of the article used in its composition. If the article command a high price, or if there be any difficulty in obtaining it in sufficient quantity, other substances can supply its place—the _name_ is all that is essential to secure a profitable sale of the medicine. Much of the sarsaparilla which is sold, has little or none of the real Spanish sarsaparilla in it; and as the Canchalagua of California is now rising into notice, there will, undoubtedly, be much sold as the genuine article, which will be composed of substances that Californians never saw. The fact that the quack’s advertisement is not only ridiculously pompous and grandiloquent, but palpably false, does not seem to injure the sale of his medicine, even with quite sensible people. A medical student in Boston amused himself with writing a burlesque quack advertisement. An apothecary, to whom he read it, proposed to buy it of him, and said that he would prepare a medicine, which, he had no doubt, could be sold in large quantities by the aid of that advertisement. The young man was astonished that his friend should suppose that any such use could be made of what he intended should be so exceedingly ridiculous. But the bargain was struck, the advertisement was put forth, and the medicine was, for a time, among the prominent quack remedies. Ridiculous as was this burlesque advertisement, it has since been surpassed by many of those which occupy so large a space in the newspapers. The certificates of cures, which are so important in giving currency to quack medicines, may be divided into _four_ classes. 1. Some of these certificates are forgeries.