Chapter XVIII: Preparations for Rupture

Advertisements of means of curing rupture without operation are very common, but in most cases the advertiser has for sale a special form of truss or other appliance. The disorder is so well-known to be of a mechanical or structural nature, that it might have been thought that it would hardly have been worth anybody’s while to advertise drugs for its cure. Nevertheless there are, at least, two instances in which medicine for internal or external use is supplied; the results of examination of these are here given.

RICE’S TREATMENT FOR RUPTURE.

The following is a specimen of the wording of the advertisement of this “treatment” which used to be, and perhaps still is, very commonly illustrated by a picture of a bricklayer filling up a hole in a wall:

RUPTURE CURED.

Do You See this Bricklayer Closing up the Opening in
that Wall. That is the way to cure _Rupture_,
by filling in the opening with _new_ and
_stronger_ tissue.

A rupture is simply a break in a wall—the wall of
_muscle_ that protects the bowels and other
internal organs.

It is just as easy to cure a wound or break in
_this_ muscle as one in the arm or hand.

Now this break may be no larger than the tip of your
finger. But it is large _enough_ to allow part of
the intestines to crowd through. Of course, this cannot
_heal_ unless nature is _assisted_. That is
just what this Method does. It enables you to retain
the protrusion inside the wall in its proper place.

Then we give you a Developing Lymphol to apply on
the rupture opening. This penetrates _through_
the skin to the edges of the opening and removes the
_hard ring_ which has formed around the break.

Then the _healing_ process begins. Nature, no
longer handicapped by the protruding bowel and hardened
ring at the opening, and stimulated by the action of
the Lymphol, throws out _her_ supply of lymph, and
the opening is again filled with _new muscle_.

Isn’t this simple? Isn’t it _reasonable_?...

Simply _write_ us and we will post you a _free
sample treatment of_ the Developing Lymphol and
a finely illustrated book on The Nature and Cure of
Rupture. Do _not_ send any money. Just your
_name_ and _address_ on this Coupon.

Application for particulars of the method of cure brought a book of 40 pages, entitled “The Nature and Cure of Rupture,” with a letter, directions for measurement, and other papers. It would seem that if the applicant does not at once become a customer, other letters and booklets are sent at intervals. The titles of some of these booklets which are before us are: “First Aid to the Ruptured,” “The Value of a Cure,” “A Fireside Reverie,” “Facts and Faces,” “The Story of Christopher Columbus,” and “The Man Who Wondered Why.” However much the matter varies, it always leads to the subject of the cure of rupture by Rice’s Treatment. The treatment consists of the wearing of an “Appliance” (occasionally referred to as “my perfect truss”) and the application of “Developing Lymphol.” The respective parts stated to be played by these are indicated by the following extracts from some of the pamphlets referred to:

To be cured of rupture it is necessary to apply my
Lymphol Developing Treatment regularly as directed, for
it is the Lymphol, not the Appliance, that performs the
cure.

The Appliance is simply a means of support to retain
the rupture, and prevent the protrusion from tearing
down the new particles of tissue with which the opening
is being filled under the vitalizing and healing
influence of the Lymphol.

The appliance is supplied in two grades or qualities. The price of the Appliance and Lymphol together ranged from 21s. for a child’s single appliance of the cheaper grade to £4 10s. for an “Abdominal Supporter and Navel Appliance Combined,” of the higher grade. It was stated in the price list that the lymphol and appliance were not supplied separately; but in another list sent with the goods the lymphol alone was priced at 16s. 6d. The bottle sent held just over four fluid ounces.

The directions were:

Lie on your back, remove appliance, unscrew stopper,
and sprinkle a few drops of the Lymphol on to the point
where the rapture leaves the cavity of the abdomen.
Apply night and morning, rubbing in thoroughly with
fingers. If irritation is produced, use less Lymphol,
or discontinue its use for a few days. The Lymphol may
be reduced in strength by adding Spiritus Rectificatus
which can be obtained from any chemist.

The “appliance” consisted of an elastic band to go round the body, fitted with an adjustable pad and an understrap. Analysis showed the “lymphol” to be an alcoholic solution containing essential oils and capsicum resin, and a trace of red colouring matter. Oils of origanum (thyme), peppermint, and spearmint were recognized; the proportion of capsicum was estimated by determining the total solid matter, and by comparing the pungency of dilutions of the lymphol with dilutions of the solutions prepared in imitation; the red colouring matter was not cochineal, or one of the common vegetable colours, but appeared to be one of the artificial dyes. Careful comparisons indicated the following formula:

Tincture of capsicum (_B.P._ strength but
prepared with strong alcohol) 60 parts by measure.
Oil of origanum 6 ” ”
Oil of peppermint 1 ” ”
Oil of spearmint 0·3 ” ”
Red dye q.s. ” ”
Rectified spirit to 100 ” ”

The estimated cost of the ingredients for 4 fluid ounces is 9d.

HEALINE TREATMENT.

This is advertised from a town in the south of England as follows:

Rupture cured

speedily and permanently, with inexpensive home
treatment. A certain remedy for Man, Woman, and Child.
Full particulars on receipt of two stamps.

Application to the address given brought a booklet of 28 pages, headed:

The following is a description of
Rupture,
Its causes, Symptoms,
Treatment, and Cure.

An extract from this booklet is here given:

The only possible way to effect a permanent cure is
by taking a remedy that will fortify and strengthen
the weakened vessels, and so enable them to bear an
ordinary strain without injuring them. HEALINE
TREATMENT No. 1 has been found by experience
to perform this operation after all other so-called
treatments have failed. External treatment cannot cure
you, for the cause is internal; therefore to effect a
cure the cause must be removed. By taking this remedy
as directed, a cure may be expected from two to four
months, according to description of complaint and
length of time affected. From six to nine bottles of
this preparation is generally sufficient to effect a
cure, or the same quantity of pills. I do not guarantee
to completely cure every case, but it will do as much
good as nature will allow, and prevent strangulation in
every case. I find, after a few years’ experience with
this remedy, that it is able to absolutely cure ninety
out of every hundred cases of rapture, where nine to a
dozen bottles have been taken.

Other sections of the pamphlet are devoted to varicocele and varicose veins, for which it appears that “Healine No. 2” and “Healine No. 3” respectively are recommended.

The prices of the preparations (post free) were thus given:

Liquid Form.—3s. per bottle; Three for 8s. 9d.; or Six
prepared bottles for 15s.

Pill Form (recommended).—2s. 9d. per box; Three for
8s.; or Six for 13s. 9d.

Healine Lotion (same price as Internal Healine) is
always necessary for bad Ulcerated Legs and open or
deep-seated Wounds, and never fails to cure when used
as directed.

Consultation by appointment only, for which a fee of
2s. 6d. will be charged.

An application for a bottle of liquid “Healine No. 1,” with a remittance of 3s., brought in return a box of the pills, with an intimation that these were recommended in preference. The box contained 60 pills, two to be taken three times a day.

The pills were coated with talc, after removal of which they had an average weight of 4 grains. No metallic salts were present, and no alkaloid; about 1 per cent. of an oily liquid of acid nature, apparently oleic acid, was found; small quantities of a tannin, gum, and phlobaphene, a decomposition product of tannin, were present, and a bitter substance which showed no characters by which it could be identified; aloin and extract of cascara sagrada were absent, and all resinous substances, unless in minute quantity; the pill consisted chiefly of indefinite extractive, with about 20 per cent. of a vegetable powder, one ingredient of which was liquorice, a second appearing to be gentian, but it was not identified with certainty; a considerable portion of the vegetable powder had no identifiable properties.