changeling67 | Live-Long Candy

We have been researching about Victorian adverts, which veered from mere quackery down to actual death. I have already mentioned 'Mrs Winlow's Soothing Syrup' that had neat cocain in it. The above advert was for a form of early antacid. it killed one maidservant, by alieviating her primary symptoms of acid reflux caused by peritonitus, but also the candy made her constipated. Her autopsy read that she was full of ulcers. The suggestion had been that the health aid had opium in it, but no analysis was carried out.

Eventually, the ingrdients were made public but crucial elements were alleged to have been left out.

Powdered rhubarb, 60 grs.
Heavy magnesia 1oz.
Bicarbonate of soda 1dr.
Finely powdered ginger 20 grs.
Cinnamon powder 15 grs.
Powdered white sugar 2oz.
Mucilage of tragacanth q. s.
Beat together, and divide into parallelograms of 20grs.

None of which would have poisoned anyone, but the case was stopped when a totally unrelated incident saw the main proprietor killed by a cart with a run away horse. Thus endeth all speculation. Just as well that the laws eventually changed to restrict dosage, eh?