Secret remedies : $b What they cost and what they contain — John Shaqi
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
The estimated cost of the pilules is one-thirtieth of a penny.
HARVEY’S BLOOD PILLS.
These pills are sold by a Company giving an address in Wales. A bottle,
containing 20 pills, costs 1s. 1½d.
The label and the enclosed circular bear the picture of a man’s head,
with the words, “Harvey. Discoverer of the circulation of the blood,”
with the possible implication that the Harvey who discovered the
circulation of the blood also discovered or invented these blood pills.
The modest claims made in the circular included the following:
Harvey’s Blood Pills for Skin Diseases. An Unfailing
Remedy for Scurvy Sores! Harvey’s Blood Pills for
Scrofulous Sores. A Certain Remedy for Ulcerated
Legs! Harvey’s Blood Pills for Sluggish Liver. The
Surest Remedy for Ringworm! Harvey’s Blood Pills for
Erysipelas. The Quickest Remedy for Itch! Harvey’s
Blood Pills for Boils. An Effective Remedy for
Eruptions! Harvey’s Blood Pills for Rheumatism. The
Safest Remedy for Piles!
Harvey’s Blood Pills are purely Vegetable, and contain
the best properties of Sarsaparilla, Dandelion,
Burdock, and Quinine. They are Warranted Free from
Mercury.
Harvey’s Blood Pills fortify the feeble, restore the
invalid to health, and do good in all cases. All
sufferers should immediately have recourse to these
celebrated Pills.
Harvey’s Blood Pills are “specially” suitable for
Females. They remove all impurities.
Somewhat lengthy directions were given for diet, etc., as well as for
taking the pills, in various cases; from which it appeared that the
usual dose is:
For a male adult, one Pill three times a day; a female
adult, one Pill twice a day; children one Pill at
bedtime.
The pills were coated with French chalk, coloured red externally;
when deprived of their coating, the average weight was 2·76 grains.
Analysis showed them to contain quinine equivalent to 17·3 per cent.
of the crystalline sulphate, 21·7 per cent. of potassium iodide, small
proportions of powdered rhubarb and liquorice, and vegetable extract
or extracts. A mass prepared from the following formula agreed closely
with the pills in general properties and in results on analysis in
various ways:
Quinine sulphate 17 grains.
Potassium iodide 22 ”
Powdered rhubarb 16 ”
” liquorice 8 ”
Extract of sarsaparilla 12 ”
” burdock 12 ”
” taraxacum 12 ”
Divided into 36 pills.
The estimated cost of the ingredients for 20 pills is ¾d.
PROFESSOR O. PHELPS BROWN’S BLOOD PURIFIER.
Professor O. Phelps Brown advertises in this country from an address in
London; the bottle sold for 2s. 9d. contained 6 fluid ounces.
The following paragraph appeared on the label:
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.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account