The Blood being therefore the Life of the living Body, it stands to reason that if it is poisoned, you poison the whole system, and eventually destroy the life of the man. When the blood is chilled, or distempered through breathing impure air, unhealthy food, etc., it at once gets disturbed, and breeds disease in some form or other. This is the cause of Blast, Scurvy, Piles, Boils, King’s Evil, Swollen Glands, Inflammation of the Eyes and Lids, Pains in the Sides, Back, and Kidneys, Cough, Bronchitis, Pleurisy, Rheumatism, Wounds in the Legs and Different Parts of the Body, all Scorbutic Affections, Cancer, Pimples on the Face, Neck, etc., and all Skin Eruptions, Chilliness, Headache, Indigestion, Fullness after Meals, Dyspepsia, Vomiting, Loss of Appetite, Consumption, Toothache, Neuralgia, Fits, St. Vitus’s Dance, all Liver Complaints, Costiveness, Yellow Jaundice, Depression of Spirits, Stitches in the Sides, Fevers, Epidemics, Plagues, Gout, Nerve Diseases, Lumbago, Erysipelas, all kinds of Inflammation, and most Chest Diseases.
The noted Pills, “Hughes’s Blood Pills,” act directly upon the Blood and Juices of all parts of the system, which they Strengthen and Purify. By so doing the Liver, Kidneys, Heart, Lungs, Stomach, Bowels, Brain and Nerves are renewed and toned to such a degree that their functions are perfectly performed, securing to the man healthy days.
Very lengthy directions were given for taking the pills for a variety of complaints, from which it appeared that the usual dose was one or two pills at night, or one three times a day.
The pills had a thin loose coating of French chalk; after removing this the average weight was 2 grains. Analysis showed the presence of no inorganic salts, except the usual small quantities of phosphate, sulphate, etc., found in the ash of most vegetable drugs. The pill contained a trace of oil of cloves and consisted of powdered drugs to the extent of about half its weight; ginger and cinchona were identified in this portion; a trace of alkaloid was extracted, showing the properties of the alkaloids of cinchona. A portion of the tissue, which appeared to be derived chiefly from a seed, could not be recognized, and a lengthy series of comparisons failed to identify it. The remainder of the pill was separated into two substances, which appeared to be aloes and jalap resin, but in each a mixture as this pill presented, the identity of these substances cannot be established with complete certainty. The proportions of the ingredients, also, can only be ascertained approximately; the following formula was indicated:
| Aloes | 0·7 | grain. |
| Jalap resin | 0·2 | ” |
| Powdered cinchona bark | 0·3 | ” |
| ”ginger | 0·2 | ” |
| Oil of cloves | Trace. | |
| In one pill. | ||
CHAPTER VI.
REMEDIES FOR GOUT,
RHEUMATISM, AND NEURALGIA.
The medicines here described vary considerably in their nature, and to some extent in the complaints for which they are recommended, but no definite line can be drawn between them. Some are primarily for gout, but are recommended also for rheumatism; others are mainly for rheumatism, but are also recommended for gout and neuralgia; while others, again, are chiefly advertised for neuralgia and headache.
BLAIR’S GOUT AND
RHEUMATIC PILLS.
These pills, which are a British product, are sold in boxes, price 1s. 1½d., and containing 14 pills.
They were described in a circular accompanying the box as: