The book opens with an investigation into Peruna, a popular catarrh remedy manufactured by Dr. Hartman, which consists largely of alcohol and water. Adams reveals that while the medicine claims to cure only catarrh, its literature encourages readers to diagnose almost any illness as catarrh. Because the minimum dose soon fails to satisfy, unsuspecting patrons frequently become enslaved by the product as a beverage and a habit, leading government officials to ban its sale to Indians and prompting specific investigations into fatal intoxications caused by its heavy alcohol content. The text then examines Duffy's Malt Whiskey, another fraudulent nostrum that pretends to be a medicine while actually being cheap whiskey, complete with false endorsements from ministers and secure placement in saloons.
The investigation continues with Liquozone, a purported germicide composed mostly of water, sulphuric acid, and sulphurous acid. Adams demonstrates through laboratory tests on guinea pigs that Liquozone has no curative effect and actually lowers the body's resistance to disease, despite flamboyant advertising and faked medical endorsements. Promoters such as Douglas Smith and Claude C. Hopkins used clever marketing and societal respectability to sell the worthless mixture to the public while concealing its true chemical nature.
Another major category of dangerous nostrums is headache powders, with Orangeine serving as a prominent example. These powders rely on acetanilid, a drug that depresses the heart, thins the blood, and causes sudden heart failure or death when used indiscriminately. Despite numerous fatalities documented by coroners, manufacturers continue to market these products as harmless bracers, leading unsuspecting users to contract severe drug addictions similar to morphinism.
The author also exposes consumption cures such as Dr. King's New Discovery and Shiloh's Consumption Cure, which contain dangerous poisons like chloroform, morphin, and prussic acid. These ingredients temporarily allay coughs or drug patients into a deceived cheerfulness, ultimately shortening their lives and destroying their chances of recovery through proper hygienic living. Numerous other specific swindles targeting incurable diseases like cancer, dropsy, and epilepsy are cataloged to show the pervasive nature of this medical fraud.
Finally, Adams exposes the alliance between patent medicine manufacturers and the daily press through stringent advertising contracts containing silence clauses. These clauses ensure that newspapers print no detrimental news about proprietary medicines and actively lobby against public health legislation on behalf of the Proprietary Association of America. By detailing the mechanics of testimonial brokers, faked medical indorsements, and the exploitation of private correspondence, the author reveals how greed and deception drive an industry that profits directly from human suffering and credulity.
