No “case” had been even mentioned in sending for the preparations. The “final offer” was:
On receipt of 12s. 6d. we will forward you our Full Size Guinea Treatment, post free. We are perfectly willing to trust to you to remit us the balance of 4s. on completion of the cure. Remember you are absolutely protected by our guarantee (see last page of booklet).
Other papers sent were a “Patient’s Special Symptom Form,” to be filled up after using the “treatment,” and including such questions as “Are your Piles better?” “Please state in what way your condition has changed since you commenced taking our treatment,” and a form for names and addresses of other persons suffering from piles.
Analysis of the “plasma” showed it to be a paraffin ointment containing about 6 per cent. of powdered galls and a small quantity of menthol (approximately 1 per cent.); the basis consisted principally of soft paraffin, with a dark substance which appeared to be the natural impurities of crude petroleum. The formula is thus approximately:
| Powdered galls | 6 | parts. |
| Menthol | 1 | ” |
| Crude petroleum jelly to | 100 | ” |
The “Muco-food Cones” had an average weight of 21 grains; analysis showed them to consist of:
| Wheat flour | 28 | per cent. |
| Oil of theobroma (cocoa butter) | 68 | ” |
| Water | 4 | ” |
Careful search failed to show any other ingredient.
The pills were coated with a mixture of talc and sugar, tinted an orange colour; after removing the coating they had an average weight of 1·1 grain. Analysis showed them to contain small quantities of powdered capsicum, powdered liquorice, and maize starch; 23 per cent. of ash, about half of which consisted of silicious matter and was apparently talc that had got into the pill from the coating; the remainder of the ash showed the usual constituents of the ash of vegetable drugs and extracts, together with a small quantity of zinc, which was present in the pill in the metallic state and was presumably derived from some vessel used in the preparation; a bitter extract, agreeing in its properties with extract of cascara sagrada, constituting the major portion of the pill; and a resinoid substance which resembled iridin. As a definite formula cannot be given for such a pill, the cost of ingredients can only be estimated somewhat roughly. After making liberal allowance for the unknown resinoid, the estimated cost of the ingredients of the quantities of the three preparations supplied for 4s. 6d. is three-farthings.