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24

J. M. MASON.

'' No matter what the symptoms may be, the real cause of a large proportion of all diseases is bad blood. Clarke's World-famed Blood Mixture is not recommended to cure every disease; on the contrary, there are many that it will not cure; but it is a guaranteed cure for all blood-diseases. ... It never fails to cure Scrofula, Scurvy, Scrofulous Sores, Glandular Swellings and Sores, Cancerous Ulcers, Bad Legs, Secondary Symptoms, Syphilis, Piles, Rheumatism, Gout, Dropsy, Black-heads or Pimples on the Face, Sore Eyes, Eruptions of the Skin and Blood, and Skin-diseases of every description." On the label it is stated, — " The mixture is pleasant to the taste, and warranted free from anything injurious to the most delicate constitution of either sex, which all Pills and most Medicines sold for the above diseases contain. "Directions: The mixture must be taken about half an hour after meals, in the following doses: — '■ For Adult Males. —One tablespconful four times a day. " ~ Adult Females. —One tablespoonful three times a day. " ~ Children over Twelve Tears of Age. —Two teaspoonfuls three times a day. "' ~ Under Twelve Years. —From half to one teaspoonful, according to age, mixed with a little water and sugar." Analysis showed the mixture to contain I's per cent, of potassium-iodide, I' 2 per cent, of sugar (partly inverted), 16 per cent, by volume of alcohol, and traces of chloroform and ammonia, a brown colour being given by a small quantity of what was evidently burnt sugar. The composition of 8 oz. is thus, — Potassium-iodide ... ... .'.. ... •■■ 52'5gr. Spirit of sal-volatile ... ... ... ... 10 minims. Spirit of chloroform ... ... ... ... 67 ~ Simple syrup ... ... ... ... ... 50 ~ Burnt sugar ... ... ... ... ■■■ q.s. Water to ... ... ... .'.'. ... 8 fluid oz. Estimated cost of ingredients, l^d. Old Dr. Jacob Townsend's American Sarsaparilla. Supplied by Dean, Steel, and Co., London, sole proprietors. Price, 2s. 6d. per bottle, holding a little under 9 fluid ounces. On the wrapper it is stated, — " This Sarsaparilla is the great purifier of the blood and general juices of the system. It effects the most salutary changes in disease; cures scrofula, salt-rheum, all scorbutic disorders, chronic sore eyes, rheumatism, piles, liver-complaints, erysipelas, all blotches and eruptions of the skin; in short, it removes every impurity of the blood, and all humours and morbid collections of the body." The directions given on the label are, — " Take half a wineglassful three or four times a day, an hour before or after meals. Persons very weak and debilitated may begin with a tablespoonful, and increase the dose as the patient recovers health and strength. It is better to take it without the addition of water." Analysis showed 100 fluid parts of the liquid to contain. 182 parts of solids, of which 5-5 parts were sugar (partly inverted), and 2"5 ash, the remainder being of the nature of a vegetable extract. The mineral constituents were only those common to the ash of most drugs, and no metallic salts were found in medicinal doses; nothing of alkaloidal nature was present. The mixture contained 8 - l per cent, by volume of alcohol. A vegetable preparation of this kind, containing no definite active principle that can be identified, is of course not capable of being referred with certainty to the various drugs from which it may have been prepared ; a study of its general properties, and a series of careful comparisons, pointed to the present mixture being of similar nature to the official liquor sarsae oompositus ooncentratus, but without liquorice, and with the addition of sugar: the drugs in the official preparation (besides liquorice) are sarsaparilla, sassafras, guaiaoum wood, and mezereon. A liquid prepared in this manner, with the alcohol reduced to the amount found in the mixture under examination and the aroma slightly increased by adding a little additional oil of sassafras, agreed fairly well both in general properties and the results of examination with the medicine under consideration. Munyon's Blood Cure. Supplied by Munyon's Homoepathic Home Remedy Co., Regent House, Regent Street, London, W. Price, Is. per bottle. The label bears the words " Manufactured in U.S. of America." On the outer package it is stated, — "It eradicates all Impurities from the Blood, and cures Scrofulitic Eruptions, Rash on the Scalp, Scald Head, Itching and Burning, and any form of Unhealthy, Blotchy, Pimply, or Scaly Skin ;" and similar claims are put forward on the label and in a circular enclosed with the bottle. The bottle contained about 200 pellets or pilules, of average weight of \ gr. These consisted of sugar; careful search was made for small quantities of medicament, but -no other ingredient could be detected. Quantitative determination of the sugar showed just 100 per cent. Estimated cost of the pilules,