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
Of these pills, which are sold in a bottle, price 1s. 1½d., containing
27 pills, a circular enclosed in the package said
Coleman’s Nervlettes or Nerve Pills generate brain and nerve-force.
The pills were coated with talc; after removal of the coating they had
an average weight of about 1½ grains. Analysis showed them to contain
free phosphorus, quinine sulphate, a little powdered liquorice, and
about 20 per cent. of a powdered vegetable tissue, which could not be
identified; the remainder of the pill appeared to be of the nature of
excipient only. The amounts of phosphorus and quinine were determined,
and indicated the following formula:
Phosphorus 0·005 grain.
Quinine sulphate 0·07 ”
Vegetable powder 0·3 ”
In one pill.
MOTHER SEIGEL’S CURATIVE SYRUP.
The price of a bottle of Mother Seigel’s Syrup containing 3 fluid
ounces is 2s. 6d.
Although this was described on the wrapper as “for dyspepsia” so
many disorders were stated to be due to this cause, and amenable to
treatment with this preparation, that it may fairly be included in
this chapter. On the other side of the wrapper it was called “A cure
for impurities of the blood,” and “A cure for dyspepsia and liver
complaints.” In a circular enclosed with the bottle it was stated:
The symptoms mentioned above are the smoke of the fire
of indigestion—a fire that will eat out your very
vitals and sap your strength and vitality. For it can’t
be too often repeated that indigestion is the root
of a great deal of evil; the origin of a great many
disorders which no man quite understands how he came
by. And why this is can easily be explained. Disease
is poison; its symptoms are the manifestation of the
poison. Indigestion creates many dangerous poisons, and
is therefore the cause of many diseases.
So let us get rid of the smoke by putting out the fire,
and purify our blood and system with Mother Seigel’s
Syrup, which will sweep away the poisons and make us
healthy and strong.
Mother Seigel’s Syrup is a highly concentrated, purely
vegetable compound, having a specific action on the
stomach, liver, and kidneys.
Analysis showed the presence of free hydrochloric acid, which is not
usually classified as a vegetable compound, tincture of capsicum, a
bitter substance agreeing in its properties with aloes, and sugar
(partly as invert sugar); the colouring and flavouring substances also
present indicated that the sugar had been added in the form of treacle.
Quantitative determination of those ingredients capable of it, and
estimation of the others by comparison with known mixtures, indicated
the following formula:
Dilute hydrochloric acid (_B.P._) 10 parts by measure.
Tincture of capsicum 1·7 ” ”
Aloes 2 parts.
Treacle 60 ”
Water to 100 parts by measure.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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