Advertisement for Clarke's Blood Mixture, prepared by the Lincoln and Midland Counties Drug Company, Lincoln, 1876-1920

‘Clarke’s Blood Mixture’ was advertised as a treatment for a number of skin and blood diseases, including gout, rheumatism, scrofula, eczema and scurvy. In 1909, the British Medical Association estimated the cost of its ingredients was the equivalent of half a penny (at today’s prices) compared to the sales cost, which was 14 pence in modern terms. The maker, Lincoln Midland Counties Drug Co, claimed all skin and blood diseases “can only be cured by purifying the blood”.

The advert shows a picture of the packaging so customers knew which preparation was the genuine article. The advert claimed that the preparation had stood the test of time for fifty years – the treatment was available in the United Kingdom until 1968, although the original recipe had been altered.