Proprietary Kings and How They Acquired Power–Patent Medicine Secrets Given Away–Where Perry Davis Found His Recipe–The Parent of the “Killers”–Men Who Made Their “Pile” in Pills–Fortunes in “Bitters”–Electricity, or “Mustard Plasters”–The Story of a “Discovery”–How a Man Gained ProsperityWith an Indian Cure–“What’s in a Name?” The Mighty Lubec–Tons of Drugs Taken Every Day–Triumph of “Soothing Syrup”–A New Patent Medicine for Every Day of the Year–The Man Who Took Everything.
Owners of proprietary compounds have constructed up nice fortunes within the sale of their concoctions. Our drug shops are crammed with patent medicines, and tens of millions of “cures” are bought yearly. The names of a few of these, reminiscent of Hostetter, Brandreth, and Mother Winslow, have turn out to be family phrases, proving how largely and universally their medicines have bought. The story is instructed of 1 credulous hypochondriac, who, on the idea that of many shot some one is prone to hit, truly took each sort of patent drugs on the planet, or at the very least of each kind he had heard about. As there are greater than 300 and sixty numerous concoctions, this genius should have taken a unique form for day-after-day of the 12 months, or else have prolonged his experiments by means of a protracted interval, which appears unimaginable underneath the circumstances. It is claimed that Perry Davis obtained his well-known “Discovery” within the type of a recipe in an outdated newspaper which he present in an outhouse. This was the muse of one of many largest fortunes in patent medicines, and it was the guardian of all of the “Killers.” The males who’ve made their piles in “pills” could also be counted by the hundred. Perhaps the “Soothing Syrup” success is essentially the most sign instance of “_multum in parvo_.” It is bought by the million bottles, and but it’s nothing however slightly paregoric dropped in some candy combination. “Lubec” is a mighty title, however anyone could be a Lubec as far as the query of perfumery goes. Among the anecdotes of drugs venders now we have solely area for one or two. A person was crying up the virtues of an electrical belt, and it was discovered that he had adroitly connected a strip of mustard plaster to the magic band, and this when heated by contact with the nice and cozy pores and skin produced redness and an itching, which had been supposed by the too trusting affected person to be the consequences of the therapeutic electrical energy. Another man has gained prosperitywith an “Indian Plant.” He travels concerning the nation with what he advertises to be a “troop of Indians,” giving performances and hawking his “cures.” The “Indians” are New York toughs, and the “medicine plant” is a standard pasture weed. We give no kind of countenance to those frauds, however, dismissing all of them, there are nonetheless each revenue to the affected person and revenue to the maker within the taking of proprietary medicines. To succeed on this line one ought to first have an article of real benefit, after which promote lavishly. Below are given some recipes fairly pretty much as good as people who have made fortunes for his or her possessors, and in some instances the precise formulation of those extensively famend medicines are given.
298. HEALING OINTMENTOne of essentially the most celebrated of ointments consists of those easy components: Butter, lard, Venice turpentine, white wax and yellow wax. Here is a rule for one more ointment: Fresh butter, three-quarters pound; beeswax, 4 ounces; yellow resin, three ounces; soften collectively; add vinegar of cantharides, one fluid ounce; and simmer the entire with fixed agitation for ten or twelve minutes, or till the moisture is sort of evaporated; then add of Canada balsam one ounce; categorical oil of mace, one drachm; balsam of Peru, ten or twelve drops; once more stir effectively, enable combination to settle; and when about half chilly pour into pots beforehand barely warmed, and permit it to chill very barely. There is nothing else however to place in your label and expose on the market.
299. SPASM KILLERAcetate of morphia, one grain; spirit of sal risky and sulphuric ether, one fluid ounce every; camphor julep, 4 ounces. Keep intently corked in a cool place and shake effectively earlier than use. Dose, one teaspoonful in a glass of chilly water as required.
Here is one other: Spirits of camphor, two ounces; tincture of capsicum, one ounce; tincture of guaiac, one-half ounce; tincture of myrrh, one-half ounce; alcohol, 4 ounces. This is Perry Davis’ well-known drugs.
300. ANTI-MALARIAOne ounce every of Peruvian bark and cream of tartar, cloves one-half drachm decreased to high-quality powder. Dose, one and one-half drachm each three hours.
301. HOSTETTER’S BITTERSHere is the recipe for the well-known bitters: Calamus root, two kilos; orange peel, two kilos; Peruvian bark, two kilos; gentian root, two kilos; colombo root, two kilos; rhubarb, eight ounces; cloves, two ounces; cinnamon, 4 ounces; diluted alcohol, 4 gallons; water, two gallons; sugar, two kilos.
302. TOOTHACHE EASELiquor of ammonia, two components; laudanum, one half; apply on lint.
303. CANDY DIGESTLump sugar, one pound; water, three ounces; dissolve by warmth; add cardamom seeds, ginger, and rhubarb, of every one ounce; when the combination is full pour it out on an oiled slab or into moulds.
304. COUGH LOZENGESLactucarium, two drachms; ipecacuanha, one drachm; squills, three-fourth drachm; extract of licorice, two ounces; sugar, six ounces; make right into a mash with mucilage of tragacinth, and divide into twenty grain lozenges.
305. LOVERS’ HAIR OIL (Makes the hair shiny)Castor oil, one pound; white wax, 4 ounces; soften collectively; add when practically chilly, of essence of bergamot, three drachms; oil of lavender, one-half drachm; essence of ambergris, ten drops.
306. PURGATIVE POWDEREqual components of julep and cream of tartar, coloured with slightly pink bole; dose, a teaspoonful in broth or warm water two or thrice each day.
307. CONSUMPTION WAFERSTwo components every lump sugar and starch in powdered type; powdered gum, one half; made right into a lozenge mass with vinegar of squills, oxymel of squills, and ipecacuanha wine, equal components, gently evaporated to one-sixth their weight with the addition of lactucarium in proportion of twenty to thirty grains to each ounce of the powders, the mass being divided into half-inch squares weighing about seven and one-half grains.
308. BEEF, IRON AND WINEHere is a recipe for Liebig’s well-known extract: Beef juice, one-half ounce; ammonia citrate of iron, 256 grains; spirit of orange, one-half fluid ounce; distilled water, one-half ounce; sherry wine enough to make sixteen fluid ounces. Dissolve the ammonia citrate of iron within the water; dissolve the extract of beef within the sherry wine; add the spirit of orange and blend the answer.
309. SPRING TONICCalamus root, two kilos; orange peel, two kilos; Peruvian bark, two kilos; gentian root, two kilos; colombo root, two kilos; rhubarb, eight ounces; cinnamon, 4 ounces; cloves, two ounces; diluted alcohol, 4 gallons; water, two gallons; sugar, two kilos.
310. DR. PIERCE’S GOLDEN MEDICAL DISCOVERYHere is all there’s of Dr. Pierce’s Golden Medical Discovery. It is little question a very good factor, however you may make it your self. A one-dollar bottle holds 220 grains of a brownish-colored, clear liquid, consisting of fifteen grains of pure honey, one grain of extract of acrid lettuce, two grains of laudanum, 100 grains of diluted alcohol, with 105 grains of water.
311. BED-BUG EXTERMINATORCorrosive sublimate, one ounce; muriatic acid, two ounces; water, 4 ounces; dissolve, then add turpentine, one pint; decoction of tobacco, one pint. Mix. For the decoction of tobacco, boil two ounces of tobacco in a single pint of water. The combination have to be utilized with a paint-brush. If effectively utilized, it is a certain destroyer of bed-bugs. It is a lethal poison.
312. CATARRH CUREOne-half gram of carbolic acid; one-half gram of camphor; and ten grams of widespread salt; that are to be dissolved in four-sevenths of a liter of water and injected into the nostrils. You can name it the “Excelsior,” for it’s excelled by none.
313. LIP POMATUMFor chapped lips, lard, sixteen components; cacao oil, twenty-four components; spermaceti, eight components; yellow wax, three components; alcana root, one half. The substances are fused for 1 / 4 of an hour at a mild warmth, then pressure by means of a material, and blend with oil of lemon and oil of bergamot, every one-sixth half, oil of bitter almonds, one-fifteenth half; then the mass is poured into appropriate vessels to chill.
314. OINTMENT FOR CHAPPED HANDSCamphor, sixty grs.; boric acid, thirty grs.; lanolin and white vaseline of every one-half ounce.
315. COD-LIVER OIL EMULSIONYolks of two eggs; powdered sugar, 4 ounces; essence of oil of almonds, two drops; orange flower water, two ounces. Mix rigorously with an equal bulk of cod-liver oil. This is a scrumptious emulsion. Of course, the dose is double that of the clear cod-liver oil.
316. BEAUTY WATER(To take away freckles). Sulpho-carbonate of zinc, two components; glycerine, twenty-five components; rose water, twenty-five components; spirits, 5 components. Dissolve and blend. Anoint twice each day, protecting the ointment on the pores and skin from one-half to at least one hour, then wash off with chilly water. Wear a darkish veil when uncovered to the solar.
317. COUGH MIXTURESyrup of poppies, syrup of squills, and paregoric, every one-half ounce. Mix. Dose, a teaspoonful in slightly heat water evening and morning, or when the cough is troublesome.
318. DR. SAGE’S CATARRH REMEDYHere is the well-known secret: One-half grm. of carbolic acid; one-half grm. of camphor and ten grms. of widespread salt; that are to be dissolved in four-sevenths of a liter of water and injected into the nostrils. Its fame is believed to be effectively deserved.
319. DIARRHEA MIXTUREWine of opium, one fluid ounce; tincture of valerian, one and one-half fluid ounces; ether, one-half fluid ounce; oil of peppermint, sixty minims; fluid extract of ipecac, fifteen minims; alcohol sufficient to make 4 fluid ounces. This is the system for a most celebrated patent drugs. The dose is a teaspoonful in slightly water each two or three hours till relieved.
320. BLOOD PURIFIEREqual to one of the best promoting compounds. For a bottle holding 220 grms., take fifteen grms. of pure honey; one grm. extract of toxic or acrid lettuce; two grms. laudanum; 100 grms. of diluted alcohol; with 105 grms. of water. Make giant portions in like proportion.
