DODD’S KIDNEY PILLS.

These pills, made by an American Company advertising from a London address, are sold in boxes containing 35, price 2s. 9d.

The label round the box stated:

A positive cure for all kidney diseases: cures rheumatism, Bright’s disease, diabetes, backache; cures female weakness, purifies the blood, cleanses the system.

The following extracts are from a circular enclosed with the pills:

Experience has proved that Dodd’s Kidney Pills are the only cure for kidney diseases.

Dodd’s Kidney Pills is the only remedy that has cured Bright’s Disease.

Diabetes—Dodd’s Kidney Pills will cure this disease.

Dropsy—The first object in treating dropsy is to restore the kidneys to their normal condition. This is what Dodd’s Kidney Pills do and hence their peculiar efficacy for this disease.

Dodd’s Kidney Pills will cure any form of heart disease.

What is known as the “change of life,” is a period of great importance to woman. At such a time, no remedy could be more effective than Dodd’s Kidney Pills.

These pills ... consist of the active principles of vegetable substances, which have been carefully studied by the discoverer of the remedy, both as to their nature and effect, and finally given to the world in the form of a sugar-coated pill, which to-day is universally acknowledged to be the best kidney remedy obtainable.

The directions are:

Take one to three pills morning, noon, and night, before or after meals. In the majority of cases one pill is a dose.

The pills were ovoid in shape, coated and coloured red on the outside. The colouring matter formed a strongly fluorescent yellow solution, showing it to be fluorescein or an allied substance; the coating was of sugar on the outside, with an inner layer consisting of chalk. In spite of the statement quoted above, that the pills consist of the active principles of vegetable substances, it was no surprise to find that the principal ingredient was potassium nitrate, of which each contained about 1 gr.; the other constituents were sodium bicarbonate, soap, hard paraffin, wheat flour, powdered turmeric, two resins respectively soluble and insoluble in ether, a small quantity of a bitter substance, and a little extractive. Examination of the resins showed that they agreed in their characters with the two constituents of jalap resin; the bitter substance was not alkaloidal, and after careful comparison with a large number of bitter principles was found to agree with that of cascarilla. The following formula gives a pill which is practically identical with the one under examination:

Extract of cascarilla (alcoholic)  0·15grain.
Jalap resin0·3”
Hard soap1·0”
Potassium nitrate1·0”
Sodium bicarbonate0·85”
Hard paraffin0·5”
Turmeric0·3”
Wheat flour0·8”
In one pill.

The estimated cost of the materials of 35 pills is 1d.