DIPSOCURE.

This nostrum is prepared by a “Chemical Co.,” giving an address in Birmingham. The price charged for a box, containing 50 powders, 25 being white and 25 tinted reddish-buff, was 9s.

This article, like the preceding, is advertised with an offer of a free sample. Application for a sample brought also a stream of letters at short intervals, with abundant printed matter. A few extracts from the letters are here given:

Eminent medical men have over and over again declared that if a cure for drunkenness could be discovered both TASTELESS AND ODOURLESS, and placed in the hands of a devoted woman to administer SECRETLY, the greatest difficulty in effecting cures would have been overcome. “Dipsocure” IS TASTELESS and ODOURLESS, and CAN BE administered SECRETLY; so that it has been our privilege and good fortune to have solved the problem. Whilst counteracting and freeing the alcoholic-laden system of the poison, it is soothing to the nerves and restores the health, and is harmless to the most delicate person.

... when a cure has been effected we ask you kindly to acquaint us of the fact, and perhaps you will then consider our agency proposal, showing how a good income can be made by introducing the cure to others. To show you the ease with which it can be sold, if you remit us 10s. three packages will be sent, two of which you can readily dispose of to other sufferers at 9s. each, thus making 8s. profit and obtaining one packet quite free.

The directions for use were:

Give one powder three times a day, before meals, dissolved in half a tea-cup of Hot Coffee, Tea, Whisky, Milk, Gin, &c.

Use either the brown or white powder, as the colour of the liquid may require.

The powders had an average weight of 4·2 grains, single powders varying from 2·9 to 6·0 grains. The composition of both kinds was found to be the same except for the trace of colouring matter contained in the tinted powder. Analysis showed the composition to be—

Acetanilide6parts.
Potassium bromide  35”
Sugar of milk59”

The estimated cost of the ingredients for 50 powders was one-third of a penny.