WHILE browsing over some old Penarth newspapers (Penarth Chronicle 1892 – the forerunner of today’s Penarth Times), I found the following information which may be of interest to readers who are in need of an uplift.

Around 100 years ago or so, Penarth was famous for its shipping and coal magnates; Mr Lundstrom’s Photography Gallery (by appointment to HM Queen Victoria) in Station Approach, Penarth; and not least, Dr Jacob Hughes, also a Presbyterian leader who hailed from Aberporth and whose blood pills – made in Penarth – had created sufficient interest to feature in no less a publication than the British Medical Journal (August 31, 1907 edition) from which the following description is provided:

“HUGHES’S BLOOD PILLS

Maker: Jacob Hughes, Penarth, Cardiff. Price 1s 1 1/2d per box containing thirty pills.

These are described on the label as “For all Blood, Skin and Nerve Diseases”.

In a circular enclosed with the box there is a dissertation on the functions and composition of the blood, from which the following extracts are taken: “The Blood being therefore the Life of the living Body, it stands to reason that if it is poisoned, you poison the whole system, and eventually destroy the life of the man.

When the blood is chilled, or distempered through breathing impure air, unhealthy food, etc, it at once gets disturbed and breeds disease in some form or other.

This is the cause of Blast, Scurvy, Piles, Boils, King’s Evil, Swollen Glands, Inflammation of the Eyes and Lids, Pains in the Sides, Back and Kidneys, Cough, Bronchitis, Pleurisy, Rheumatism, Wounds in the Legs and Different Parts of the Body, all Scorbutic Affections, Cancer, Pimples on the Face, Neck, etc, and all Skin Eruptions, Chilliness, Headaches, Indigenstion, Fullness after Meals, Dyspepsia, Vomiting, Loss of Appetite, Consumption, Toothache, Neuralgia, Fits, St Vitus’s Dance, all Liver Complaints, Costiveness, Yellow Jaundice, Depression of Spirits, Fevers, Epidemics, Plagues, Gout, Nerve Diseases, Lumbago, Erysipelas, all kinds of Inflammation and most Chest Diseases.

The Noted Pills, “Hughes’s Blood Pills”, act directly upon the Blood and Juices of Kidneys, Heart, Lungs, Stomach, Bowels, Brain and Nerves are renewed and toned to such a degree that their functions are perfectly performed, securing to the man healthy days.”

Very lengthy directions are given for taking the pills for a variety of complaints, from which it appears that the usual dose is one or two pills at night, or one three times a day.

The pills had a thin loose coating of French chalk; after removing this the average weight was two grains.

Analysis showed the presence of no inorganic salts, except the usual small quantities of phosphate, sulphate, etc, found in the ash of most drugs. The pill contained a trace of oil of cloves and consisted of powdered drugs to the extent of about half its weight; ginger and cinchona were identified in this portion; a trace of alkaloid was extracted, showing properties of the alkaloids of cinchona.

A portion of the tissue, which appeared to be derived chiefly from a seed, could not be recognised, and a lengthy series of comparisons failed to identify it with any known drug.

The remainder of the pill was separated into two substances, which appeared to be aloes and Jalap resin but from such a mixture as this pill presents, the identity of these substances cannot be established with complete certainty.

The proportions of the ingredients, also, can only be ascertained approximately; the following formula was indicated:

Aloes … 0.7 grain

Jalap resin … 0.2 grain

Powdered cinchona bark … 0.3 grain

Powdered ginger … 0.2 grain

Oil of cloves … trace

In one pill”.

Enjoy!

Brian Keitch

Redlands Road

Penarth

* Thanks to Phil from Penarth Library for assistance in compiling this article.