COZA POWDER.
This powder is supplied by the Coza Institute, 76, Wardour Street, London, W., formerly 62, Chancery Lane, London, W.C. The price charged for a box, containing 30 powders was 10s.
The preparation was advertised with an offer of a free sample. An application for a sample brought a single powder together with a 10s. box to be paid for or returned, a book of 130 pages (which is referred to below), and a letter, from which the following is an extract:
Coza Powder has the marvellous effect of producing a repugnance to intoxicating drink of any kind, and may be administered in coffee, tea, milk, water, beer, whisky, brandy, or solid food without the partaker’s knowledge.
Coza Powder does its work so silently and surely that any person interested in the intemperate can administer it to him or her without his or her knowledge and without him or her learning what has effected the reformation.
Coza Powder has reconciled thousands of families, saved from shame and dishonour thousands of men and transformed them into sturdy citizens and capable business men. It has led many a young man along the direct road to good fortune, and has prolonged by several years the lives of many individuals.
We particularly wish to draw your attention to the fact that we guarantee Coza Powder to be absolutely harmless.
The book which was sent, entitled No more Drunkenness, opens with the statements that—
Coza Powder is one of the greatest discoveries of the day. There is nothing in the whole world to compare with it. It is the only powder to cure the craving for drink and drug habits.
The first few pages are devoted to a disquisition on drunkenness; then follow further claims for Coza Powder, such as—
Coza is the name of a marvellous powder which possesses the quality of occasioning in him who takes it a dislike for alcoholic liquors and all intoxicating drinks. The drinker finds alcohol so detestable that even on the most tempting occasions it will be impossible for him to take a single drop.
A large part of the book is given up to what are called testimonials, with portraits stated to represent the writers; the large majority of these are dated from Continental countries. Those to which English names and addresses are appended are for the most part expressions of hopefulness, or records of slight variations in drinking which are believed to be due to the powders; for instance:
My friend has been taking “Coza” this last two days, and he has had no desire for drink.
Enclosed you will find P.O. for which send me another box. I think the powders are doing my friend good. Send at once.
The last pages of the book are devoted to advertisements of Canexia Hair Elixir, Canexia-Brilliantine, and Canexia-Shampoo Powder, supplied from the Canexia Chemical Works, 61, Chancery Lane; and Anticelta Tablets for Obesity, and Brixa Tablets for Thin People, supplied from 62, Chancery Lane.
A visit to the address showed that the Canexia Chemical Works, the Coza Institute, and the offices of Anticelta and Brixa Tablets were all at that time accommodated in three rooms on the second floor at 61 and 62, Chancery Lane, the double number representing the one entrance of a large block of buildings containing hundreds of different offices. A photograph of the entire block, inscribed “Coza Institute,” is given in the book just referred to. The address has since been changed to that given above.
The powders had an average weight of 1½ grains, the weights of single ones varying from ⅓ grain to 3 grains. Analysis showed them to contain 90·5 per cent. of sodium bicarbonate, the remainder being a vegetable powder; microscopic examination of this powder showed that it agreed in all its characters with a mixture of equal parts of cummin fruit and cinnamon. No alkaloid was present, and no other ingredient of any kind could be detected. The formula is thus:
| Sodium bicarbonate | 90 | parts. |
| Powdered cinnamon | 5 | ” |
| Powdered cummin | 5 | ” |
Cummin fruit (seeds) have a bitter aromatic taste and a peculiar strong heavy odour. Owing to its disagreeable taste and odour cummin is seldom used in medicine, any medicinal properties it possesses being the same as those of other aromatic and less nauseous umbelliferous fruits.
The estimated cost of the ingredients for 30 powders was one-thirtieth of a penny.