J. M. MASON.]

31

1.—14.

The "paste" is a pink ointment, containing 93 per cent, of a fatty basis, 4'B per cent, of a substance which agreed in its characters with dried bile, and was evidently ordinary " purified ox-bile," and a little carmine, the remainder being moisture. Further examination of the fatty basis showed a considerable proportion of beeswax, and the analytical results obtained agreed with a mixture of— Beeswax, 23 parts. Lard, 46 parts. Rapeseed (colza) oil, 31 parts. It is not possible, however, to assign an exact formula to a mixture of fatty substances like this. The composition of the paste is thus (approximately),— Purified ox-bile ... ... ... ... ... 5 per cent. Beeswax ... ... ... ... ... ... 22 ~ Lard ... ... ... ... ... ... 44 ~ Oil ... ... ... ... ... ... 29 „ Carmine ... ... ... ... ... ... q.s. A trace of perfume is also present. Estimated cost of ingredients (2 oz.), 3d. /. Z. Obesity Tablets. Supplied by Miss Johnson, 41 Conduit Street, London, W. Price, 2s. a box, containing twenty-five. The directions are, — " Two at night dissolved in the mouth as an ordinary lozenge." The "tablets" are flat oval lozenges weighing 19 gr. each. Analysis showed their composition to be as follows:-— Sulphur ... ... ... ... ... ... 24 per cent. Ginger, about ... ... ... ... ... 4 ~ Sugar ... ... ... ... ... ... 61 ~ Acacia gum ... ... ... ... ... 8 ~ Moisture ... ... ... ... ... ... 3 ~ Estimated cost of ingredients (twenty-five lozenges), £d.

[Extract from the British Medical Journal of the 26th January, 1907, page 213.J The Composition of Certain Secret Remedies. kidney medicines. Warner's "Safe" Cure. Put up by ?i. H. Warner and Co. (Limited), 36 Clerkenwell Road, London, E.C. Price, 2s. 9d. a bottle, holding 8 fluid ounces. " Dose for adults, one tablespoonful five or six times a day." The label bears the words, " For Kidney and Liver and Bright's disease and jaundice, gravel, stone " —and a long list of other complaints. A " medical pamphlet " of thirty-four pages accompanies each bottle, from which the following extracts are taken: — " Warner's ' Safe ' Cure is a purely vegetable compound, and contains no narcotic or harmful drugs; it is free from sediment and is pleasant to take; it is a most valuable and effective tonic; it stimulates digestion, awakens the torpid liver, and puts the entire system in the very best receptive state for the work of restoring the kidneys. It does its work with absolute method, preparing the tissues, soothing and stimulating the enfeebled organs, healing at the same time. It builds up the body, gives it strength, and restores the energy which is or has been wasting under the baneful suffering of kidney-disease. Warner's ' Safe ' Cure was discovered about thirty years ago by one of the most eminent specialists in diseases of the kidneys, who had made a life-study of kidney and kindred diseases." "How to test your kidneys: Put some morning urine in a glass or bottle; let it stand for twenty-four hours; if there is a reddish sediment in the bottom of the glass, or if the urine is cloudy or milky, or if you see particles or germs floating about in it, your kidneys are diseased, and you should lose no time, but get a bottle of Warner's ' Safe ' Cure, as it is dangerous to neglect your kidneys for even one day. Bright's disease, gravel, liver-complaints, pains in the back, rheumatism, rheumatic gout, inflammation of bladder, stone in the bladder, uric-acid poison, dropsy, eczema, scrofula, blood-disease, offensive odour from sweating, so-called ' female weakness,' painful periods, too frequent desire to urinate, and painful passing of urine are all caused by diseased kidneys, and can be speedily cured by Warner's ' Safe ' Cure, which has been prescribed for twenty-five years." Of Bright's disease it is remarked, — "It is one of the harassing complaints which physicians in family practice seldom have the patience to investigate and manage with sufficient care " !