Secret remedies : $b What they cost and what they containBritish Medical Association
Science
Secret remedies : $b What they cost and what they contain
British Medical Association
Patent medicines
A visit to the address showed that the Canexia Chemical Works, the Coza
Institute, and the offices of Anticelta and Brixa Tablets were all at
that time accommodated in three rooms on the second floor at 61 and
62, Chancery Lane, the double number representing the one entrance of
a large block of buildings containing hundreds of different offices. A
photograph of the entire block, inscribed “Coza Institute,” is given in
the book just referred to. The address has since been changed to that
given above.
The powders had an average weight of 1½ grains, the weights of single
ones varying from ⅓ grain to 3 grains. Analysis showed them to contain
90·5 per cent. of sodium bicarbonate, the remainder being a vegetable
powder; microscopic examination of this powder showed that it agreed in
all its characters with a mixture of equal parts of cummin fruit and
cinnamon. No alkaloid was present, and no other ingredient of any kind
could be detected. The formula is thus:
Sodium bicarbonate 90 parts.
Powdered cinnamon 5 ”
Powdered cummin 5 ”
Cummin fruit (seeds) have a bitter aromatic taste and a peculiar strong
heavy odour. Owing to its disagreeable taste and odour cummin is seldom
used in medicine, any medicinal properties it possesses being the same
as those of other aromatic and less nauseous umbelliferous fruits.
The estimated cost of the ingredients for 30 powders was one-thirtieth
of a penny.
DIPSOCURE.
This nostrum is prepared by a “Chemical Co.,” giving an address in
Birmingham. The price charged for a box, containing 50 powders, 25
being white and 25 tinted reddish-buff, was 9s.
This article, like the preceding, is advertised with an offer of a free
sample. Application for a sample brought also a stream of letters at
short intervals, with abundant printed matter. A few extracts from the
letters are here given:
Eminent medical men have over and over again declared
that if a cure for drunkenness could be discovered
both TASTELESS AND ODOURLESS, and placed in the
hands of a devoted woman to administer SECRETLY, the
greatest difficulty in effecting cures would have been
overcome. “Dipsocure” IS TASTELESS and ODOURLESS, and
CAN BE administered SECRETLY; so that it has been our
privilege and good fortune to have solved the problem.
Whilst counteracting and freeing the alcoholic-laden
system of the poison, it is soothing to the nerves
and restores the health, and is harmless to the most
delicate person.
... when a cure has been effected we ask you kindly
to acquaint us of the fact, and perhaps you will then
consider our agency proposal, showing how a good income
can be made by introducing the cure to others. To show
you the ease with which it can be sold, if you remit us
10s. three packages will be sent, two of which you can
readily dispose of to other sufferers at 9s. each, thus
making 8s. profit and obtaining one packet quite free.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account