Athothis : a satire on modern medicine / by Thomas C. Minor.

"And the essential oils—'Angels and ministers of grace defend us!' Oil of anise, mixed with turpentine; Oil of cade, common tar and juniper; Oil of lemon, one-half turpentine; Oil of sandal, one-half castor oil; Olive oil, nothing but cotton-seed oil. " Can it be possible that Professor Prescriber deals in such vile compounds ? But, look ! here is ' Sulphur, one-half gypsum ; Saffron, calendula flowers, dyed with Campeachy wood; Dandelion, two-thirds chicory; Hydrastin, of beet root, serpentaria,and meal; Capsicum, Venetian red and brick dust admixed; Cardamom, adulterated with orange seed." " Hold!" cried Athothis. " Do not exhaust the whole pharmacopoeia." " Can it be that any of my patients have taken such remedial agents?" asked Paulus Androcydes, anxiously. " Not only possible, but more than probable," answered Athothis ; " for, following the commercial spirit of the age, such substitution is common. Nor would the drug- gist who sells patent medicine hesitate at such trifles as adulterations. Besides, your people are to blame, as they patronize the apothecary who sells cheapest. I am will- ing to admit that a few honest, capable druggists still live, but the mass are like our friend Professor Prescriber, and buy goods from unscrupulous dealers, who employ skillful compounders. Another thing I wish to observe is, that your modern doctor is at fault for this sad state of affairs ; for, believe me, not one physician in a hun- dred knows any thing of botany or pharmacy. The vast