TREATMENT OF DISEASES. 159 



II. Soft Corns. — In the case of soft corns great cleanliness must be 

 observed, the suffering toes must be kept separate by a bit of cotton, and the 

 dead skin, after touching lightly with the acid, must be removed as fast as its 

 tenderness will allow. But no cure can be accomplished while an ill-fitting 

 shoe is still doing its mischievous work. Too tight a shoe, especially one too 

 narrow-toed, is an ill-fitting shoe. 



Remarks. — I wish to say as confirming the idea above advanced, that if any 

 one will not give up their " tight fits " they may rest assured that they will 

 always have a crop of corn(s) on hand, or rather on foot. So suit yourself as to 

 keeping a full supply. 



2. Bunions, Corns, Warts, etc.— Brister's Spanish Destroyer. 

 — Concentrated ether, 1 lb. ; gun cotton, 1 oz. ; best alcohol, 8 ozs. ; glycerine, 

 1 oz. ; a trifle of red aniline to color. 



I. Directions to Make. — Put the gun cotton on a plate and wet it with a 

 little alcohol, and then put all into the ether. If a less amount is desired keep 

 the same proportions. Keep corked. To color, if to put up for sale, put 5 cts. 

 worth of aniline red into 1 oz. of alcohol, and 1 tea-spoonful of it will color all 

 a nice red, more or less as you choose. 



II. Directions for Use. — Soak the feet in warm water from 5 to 10 min- 

 utes; scrape the outside of the corns, or bunions, with a knife. Apply the 

 destroyer to the afllicted parts with a brush, as thin as possible, about three 

 times a week, 4 or 5 applications being suflicient to cure the affected parts. 

 Should the corns be between the toes (soft corns), place a little piece of cotton 

 between them, to keep them apart, and to keep the medicine from being rubbed 

 off. 



For warts keep covered with the remedy, or destroyer, till they are removed. 

 Keep the vial corked tightly. 



The destroyer, when applied to the afilicted parts, forms a thin plaster 

 (artificial skin) over the same. Discontinue the use of the destroyer until the 

 plaster disappears. When my wife used it upon her bunions she put some 

 washing fluid (made of sal-soda and lime, which she always kept for washing 

 purposes), into the water in which she soaked the bunions, then scraped off all 

 the dead matter and softened skin, and applied the remedy. It did not take 

 but a few days to reduce her bunions more than one-half in size, and to remove 

 all soreness. This is really a valuable thing for bunions. 



But sal-soda put in the water to soak the corn, or bunion in, making it 

 pretty strong, will do as well as the washing ffluid, referred to above; it soft- 

 ens the hard scaly surface, which is to be scraped off; then apply as above 

 directed, with a brush. 



Remarks. — I obtained this recipe of "Wm. H. Brister, of Springfield, HI., 

 at the depot where he was selling the " Destroyer," as he calls it. He had a cir- 

 cular, calling himself " The Great Western Corn Doctor," and told me he had 

 traveled 8 years in its sale, and had cleared his living for himself and family 

 and built a house in Springfield worth $8,000 made out of the business. This 

 remedy must certainly have been very valuable, or he could noc have continued 

 its sale for so maay years; for he showed me certificates from prominent moo. 



