December io, 1870.] THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
479 
Fox’s “Palatable” Cod-liver Oil and Castor Oil. 
Sir,—Our attention has been directed to the report in your 
Journal of the transactions of the Liverpool Chemists’ Associa¬ 
tion, November 10th, at which meeting the President directed 
attention to “palatable” cod-liver oil, stating that “he ob¬ 
served that a circular accompanied each bottle, with testimo¬ 
nials from medical men, and some who held the title of 
F.C.S., and he could not understand how such men could lend 
their names to a practice by which the public were led to be¬ 
lieve that they were purchasing genuine cod-liver oil, whereas 
what they received was only about half oil.” 
The President appears to wish the Association to infer that 
we are deceiving the public by thus introducing the “palat¬ 
able oils.” Now, our object has been the very reverse of 
this. We have distinctly and repeatedly stated that they 
are a preparation, and contain a proportion of oil; and if the 
public will but take the trouble to look, they can see this for 
themselves. Had we not thus have placed the “ palatable ” oils 
before the public, but led them to believe, as stated, that 
they were oils only, the sale would not have reached the ex¬ 
tent it has. Again, our preparations are specially intended 
for those who cannot take the simple oil, and who therefore 
would not have the remotest wish to purchase what would 
disagree with them. 
It has been our great aim to put fully before the medical 
faculty, both by circular and weekly advertisements in the 
medical papers (to which we would direct attention) the fact 
of the oil being a combination. If we have, as stated by the 
President, led the public to believe they were purchasing cod- 
liver oil only, we have defeated our own purpose, and con¬ 
veyed an impression the very opposite to our intention, inas¬ 
much as we have most distinctly wished it to be understood 
that the preparations are not all cod-liver oil. 
We fully invite the opinions of the medical profession as 
to the therapeutical value of these preparations in contrast 
to the ordinary simple oils. 
Enclosed, we hand you opinions of some of the physicians 
•of the leading hospitals and others, which will show the value 
of our preparations in cases where the ordinary simple oils 
have failed to accomplish the purposes intended, and wherein 
it is clearly stated “that it (cod-liver oil) is quite as efficacious 
as the ordinary oil, and much more readily digested by the 
weak stomachs of phthisical patients.” 
Manchester, Feb. Otli, 1870. George W. Fox & Co. 
Sir,—Having seen certain strictures in your last issue, in a 
spirit of fairness I contradict the statement that the palatable 
oils have been brought before the public with a view to deceive 
them. I, together with my medical brethren, have received 
a circular on two occasions stating distinctly that the prepa¬ 
rations of Messrs. Fox and Co. only contain 50 per cent of 
-oil; and |Mr. Abraham, the President of the Liverpool 
Chemists’ Association, needs not to be informed that very few 
persons take cod-liver oil for the love of that nauseous medi¬ 
cine, but at the recommendation of the profession. 
Messrs. Fox and Co. have not only sent circulars, but 
advertise weekly in the medical papers the proportion of 
■oil in their preparations. 
I, for one, have long felt the want of a more agreeable 
form of administering cod-liver and castor oils, and have re¬ 
commended the preparations alluded to with marked satis¬ 
faction and benefit. 
Mr. Abraham, perhaps, considers the chemists and drug¬ 
gists immaculate; but I have a preparation called “ cod-liver 
cream,” prepared by a chemist, which is stated on the label 
do contain 90 per cent, of oil, and, on analysis, contains about 
‘.25 per cent. 
Now Messrs. Fox and Co.’s preparations contain more oil, 
according to Mr. A.’s statement, than they advertise. 
I think it premature for the Liverpool Chemists’ Associa¬ 
tion to have acted as they have, but I am afraid there is a 
vein of selfish interest at the foundation of their criticisms. 
Oldham, November 30th, 1870. A Physician. 
Sir,—-I noticed in your number of Saturday last the report of 
\ a meeting of the “ Liverpool Chemists’ Association,” where 
it states, “ The President exhibited a bottle labelled * Palat¬ 
able Cod-liver Oil,’ ” etc. 
. -A- 3 Messrs. Fox and Co., of Manchester, have secured the 
.right to use the term “palatable” cod-liver oil, I presume 
-tae remarks referred to their preparations: and as one of 
their earliest agents, and one who has pushed the sale of their 
oils, I feel that the remarks made by Mr. Abraham apply to 
me, and indeed to every chemist who has sold the prepara¬ 
tions referred to, quite as much as to Messrs. Fox and Co. 
I should be sorry to think I had assisted in deceiving the 
public to the extent I must have done if Mr. Abraham’s idea 
be a correct one. I am of opinion, however, that he is wrong, 
and that the Liverpool Chemists’ Association has acted 
very unfairly, by pronouncing judgment upon a matter it 
is evidently in ignorance about. 
Messrs. Fox and Co. have depended almost entirely upon 
the support of the medical profession, and on the first introduc¬ 
tion of their oils sent circulars to all members in towns where 
the oils were introduced, stating that they contained 50 per 
cent, (even less than Mr. Abraham gives as the proportion), and 
also sent a sample. 
True, that the labels do completely cover the bottles,—for 
advertisement,—and that “prominent instructions are given 
to shake the bottlethe very fact of that instruction being 
given would tell the most dull mind that it was a compound, 
and required well mixing before being taken. 
There has been no attempt to keep the proportion of oil a 
secret, and now it has been made known to every member of 
the medical profession in the United Kingdom. It has not 
been stated on the bottles certainly, and I don’t see the 
necessity for doing so in a preparation mostly recommended 
by professional men, who are quite aware of its composition. 
I consider the oils to have been brought out in a perfectly 
honest manner; and, if medical gentlemen have found them 
to be all that they are represented, and to supply a great 
want, I think they are perfectly justified in giving their tes¬ 
timony, if they think fit, and feel sure most of your readers 
will agree with me that the Liverpool Chemists’ Association 
has overstepped its bounds by presuming to complain of 
medical gentlemen having done something the particulars of 
which the Association had evidently not taken the trouble 
to inquire. 
A spirit of fair play is my reason for writing these lines, 
and asking the favour of your inserting them in your next 
issue. JAS. WlNTERBOTTOH. 
Oldham, Nov. 30. _____ 
DRUGGIOTS’ ClTARIfES. 
Sir,—Yesterday, a person brought me the following to dis¬ 
pense :— 
R. Ext. Col. Co. 5j 
Pil. Rhei Co. 5ss 
Pulv. Ipecac, gr. xv 
01. Carui gtt. x 
Sapon. Cast. gr. xx. 
Mix, and divide into 36 pills. Two to be taken every other 
night, or as occasion may require. 
I charged Is. 3d. for this, and was in return insulted by 
him, and told that he would never come into my shop again. 
On inquiring his reasons, I was told that my charge was 
outrageous, and that he had had the same prescription fre¬ 
quently dispensed at a first-class establishment in Wolver¬ 
hampton for 8 d. Is not this rather too bad, that a chemist 
should by thus “cutting” not only injure himself (which 
would not much matter), but should also injure respectable 
chemists, who use genuine drugs and try to make a living 
out of their trade, which at the Wolverhampton dispensing 
prices would be rather difficult? 
I hope some day to see a list of prices for dispensing issued 
by the Society, from which no one can depart, not even the 
proprietor of the first-class establishment at Wolverhampton. 
J. F. Pollard. 
Wavertree, near Liverpool, December 2nd, 1870. 
Sir,—Your correspondent Charles Kidd, M.D., in last 
week’s issue of the Journal, having indicated the neighbour¬ 
hood in which I live as the place where cheap and nasty phy¬ 
sic can be procured at the rate of 3d. or 7 d. for 8 oz., with a 
bottle, etc., and as he must allude to one of two or three of us, 
I notice some of his remarks without apology. In reply to the 
worthy doctor’s strictures, then, I have to say that I charge 
as much as he seems to think a fan.' price; and that in the 
case of physicians’ prescriptions dispensed, it is the rule, and 
always has been with me, to send neither quack wrapper 
nor medicine list. 
If the doctor will give me the favour of a visit, I shall be 
happy to show him my list of charges, which has been in use 
for the last ten years. 
I use the infusions made fresb, and never send out stale,— 
