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Story: Medicines and remedies

Patent medicine

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Patent medicine

Hemaboloids arseniated (with strychnia) was a patent medicine used to treat people with anaemia (low red blood cell count). It contained 17% alcohol, and small amounts of arsenious acid (which contained arsenic) and strychnia (also known as strychnine), both of which were highly toxic in larger doses.

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Rosemary Beresford

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How to cite this page

Pauline Norris and Rosemary Beresford, Medicines and remedies – Plants, pills and poultices before 1900, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/28219/patent-medicine (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Pauline Norris and Rosemary Beresford, published 22 March 2011, updated 1 April 2020.