"Vintage ad-1854-Nichols Peruvian Bark & Iron Card

Actual disclaimer from 1854 ad by distributer: ' BILLIONS CLAPP & CO BOSTON' (Mis-spelling and all) "AN OLD AND VALUABLE REMEDY Nichols Elixir of Peruvian Barl With Protoxide of Iron A prominent peculiarity and advantage consists in associating Iron not geaquioxide condition but in the more easily assimilable form of a protoealti with the valuable alkaloids of Peruvian Bark in an elegant and permanent conipo where the chemical equilibrium of each principal is undisturbed We unhesitatingly express the opinion that no more pleasant and desirable chalybeate and tonic has ever been ottered to the profession and so far as our knowledge extends this result the combination of the protosaltti of Iron with the active principles of Peruvian Bark is not attained in any of the numerous preparations crowded upon the public as a rabj tltute and imitation of our compound In order that physicians may prove the presence of protoxide of iron in this Elixir we rive the oral teet Pour a small quantity of the Elixir into a wine glass and add a few drops of ferricyanide of potef aium The instant change of color to a deep blue snows the presence of iron in the form of a protoiaU Our Elixir of Peruvian Barr with Protoxide of Iron is sold in bottles holding one pint also la two quart and gallon paokage If physicians desiring to prescribe this preparation will direct their druggists to procure the larger bottles they can order it by pieacripticn in suoh quantities as the may desire for their patients Made only by BILLIONS CLAPP & CO BOSTON " Modern info- Quinine is the chief alkaloid of cinchona bark (known as 'Fever Bark'), a tree found in South America. It has a colourful history of more than 350 years. Calancha, an Augustinian monk of Lima, first wrote about the curative properties of cinchona powder in "fevers and tertians" as early as in 1633. By 1640, the bark had already found its way into Europe, thanks to the Jesuit fathers (hence the name 'Jesuit's bark'). Eminent philosopher Cardinal de Lugo popularised the bark in Rome (hence it is also called Cardinal's bark). In 1820, Pelletier and Caventou isolated quinine and cinchonine from cinchona. Even today, quinine is obtained entirely from the natural sources due the difficulties in synthesising the complex molecule.