SECTION VIII.
MEDICINES;
MEDICAL EMPIRICISM,
AND
QUACKS AND QUACKERY,
REGULAR AND IRREGULAR,
LEGITIMATE AND ILLEGITIMATE.
Devoted to disease by baker, butcher, grocer, wine-merchant, spirit-dealer, cheesemonger, pastry-cook, and confectioner; the physician is called to our assistance; but here again the pernicious system of fraud, as it has given the blow, steps in to defeat the remedy;—the unprincipled dealers in drugs and medicines exert the most diabolical ingenuity in sophisticating the most potent and necessary drugs, (viz. peruvian bark, rhubarb, ipecacuanha, magnesia, calomel, castor-oil, spirits of hartshorn, and almost every other chemical preparation in general demand;) and chemical preparations used in pharmacy; and the fraud has increased to so alarming an extent, says Mr. Accum, and his assertion is borne out by the experience of every one familiar with chemistry, that nine-tenths of the drugs and medicines in use that are vended by dealers, even of respectability and reputation, according to the usual interpretation of those words, “and who would,” as that gentleman emphatically expresses himself, “be the last to be suspected,” are adulterated. And what tends to aggravate the evil is that manufactories and mills on “an amazingly large scale” are constantly at work in this metropolis for the manufacture of spurious drugs. From these licensed elaboratories of disease, the adulterated articles are vended to unprincipled druggists, at less than a third of the price of the genuine article. And as there are no certain tests or methods of detecting the fraud, the consequence is, that the physician’s prescription is rendered useless, and the most consummate skill often baffled in the subjection of disease. Some idea of the extent of the adulteration of drugs may be formed, when it is stated that a spurious peruvian bark is sometimes sold, compounded of mahogany saw-dust and oak-wood, ground into powder, with a proper proportion of genuine quinquina; and that magnesia, even the calcined sort, is adulterated with lime.
Chemical cunning has even contrived to extract the quinquina, in which consists the whole virtue of the bark, leaving it a completely inert mass. And even the quinine itself is sophisticated, being frequently contaminated with lime, tallow, sugar, and sulphate of cinchonas.
It is necessary also to make some little inquiry, and use some little exercise of one’s understanding, in ascertaining for what reasons certain physicians recommend particular druggists, and particular drugs which are manufactured by the “said particular” druggists. Dr. Reece, in his Monthly Gazette of Health for August 1829, has tended to open one’s eyes a little on the subject. He informs us that the late Ambrose Godfrey, the nostrum-monger, contrived to get his preparation of arrow-root into notice and sale at double the price for which it might have been obtained of any other druggist, by accompanying samples of his commodity with presents of haunches of venison to certain physicians, and that by judicious repetitions (“neither few nor far between”) of the said conciliating haunches of venison, he contrived to maintain the reputation and supposed superiority of the said arrow-root, and to keep the monopoly to himself, as all the said learned and grateful physicians always, as in due allegiance and duty they were bound, recommended the said Godfrey Ambrose’s arrow-root as superior to that of all other simple wights, who supposed that their composition of arrow-root could be good for any thing, if they forgot, or were not able, to give character to the commodities by means of the mute but irresistible influence or eloquence of the said judiciously disposed-of haunches of venison. From this account it appears that the “sons of Galen” and the artificers of “the pestle and mortar” are not behind their brethren of “the long robe,” and “of the quill and parchment tribe” in the “art of huggery.” How often has a “learned barrister” contrived to get into the good graces of an attorney and secured practice by invitations to dinner, and judiciously and well timed (for few persons are better versed in the art of throwing a sprat to catch a whale than a hungry and briefless, and it must be admitted, often highly gifted barrister;) presents of game, by a hearty and unseen shake of the hand in the street, which he dared not have given at Westminster Hall, and by all those ingenious means, to which men of great talent have before now condescended, and by which men of little talent have sometimes gained considerable fortunes.
Nor has the spirit of adulteration allowed even the accredited patent or quack medicines to escape its ingenuity. Dr. James’s Fever Powders, and Norris’s Fever Drops, besides a variety of other popular receipts, are to be obtained in all possible degrees of strength and flavours from the various venders and manufacturers of the articles.
Even the simple articles arrow-root, worm-seed, Spanish liquorice, lemon acid, soda water, lozenges, honey, spermaceti, and a long list of other commodities in general use, receive the benefit of the sophisticators’ ingenuity.
The greater part of the commodity sold under the name of arrow-root in the shops of the druggists and grocers is prepared from the fecula or starch of wheat and of dry mealy potatoes, with a portion of arrow-root. When good, the grains of arrow-root are very fine, with numbers of little clots which are formed by the aggregation of the minuter grains while the commodity is drying, and when examined by a magnifying glass appear pearly and very brilliant.
The seeds of the tansy are often offered for sale, for worm-seed; but the more conscientious dealer sometimes treats his customers with an equal portion of the genuine and the adulterated article.
The Spanish liquorice juice of the shops is generally composed of the worst kind of gum arabic, called Indian or Barbary gum, and imported chiefly for the purpose of making shoe-blacking, with a small portion of the genuine juice; and the factitious composition, when inspissated, is formed into rolls, resembling the genuine article imported from Catalonia, nicely sprinkled or stratified with particles of dry bay-leaves, and skilfully impressed with the word “Solaz,” in the true cast of Spanish engraving. Refined liquorice is frequently manufactured from Spanish juice, with an equal quantity of carpenters’ glue or starch. The specimens of genuine juice are generally small, perfectly black, brittle, and break with a smooth and glassy fracture. They are also soluble either in the mouth or in water, without leaving any residue.