it is improbable that he manufactured all of
them: several of them were probably identical preparations under
different labels. In addition to these, he offered a larger list of
medicines as a dealer. Brother J. Carlton Comstock must have been the
main originator of medicines within the firm; he seems to have
specialized largely in veterinary remedies, although the liniment for
the piles also stood to his credit. Despite Lucius' claim to sole
proprietorship of these remedies, the departing brothers also
manufactured and sold most of the identical items, adding two or three
additional preparations, such as Dr. Chilton's Fever and Ague Pills and
Youatt's Gargling Oil (for animals). Aside from J. Carlton Comstock and
Judson, the originators of most of the other preparations are cloaked in
mystery; most of them were probably entirely fictitious. Admittedly,
William Youatt (1776-1847), for whom several of the animal remedies were
named, was an actual British veterinarian and his prescriptions were
probably genuine, but whether he authorized their sale by proprietary
manufacturers or was himself rewarded in any way are questions for
speculation. The versatile Dr. Larzetti seems to have experimented both
with impotency and deafness, but his ear oil--a number of specimens of
which were still on hand in the abandoned factory--was identical in
every respect with Dr. McNair's oil, as the labels and directions, aside
only from the names of the doctors, were exactly the same for both
preparations. In fact, some careless printer had even made up a batch of
circulars headed "Dr. Mc Nair's Acoustic Oil" but concluding with the
admonition, "Ask for Larzetti's Acoustic Oil and take no other."
Presumably simple Americans who were distrustful of foreigners would
take Mc Nair's oil, but more sophisticated persons, aware of the
accomplishments of doctors in Rome and Vienna, might prefer Larzetti's
preparation.

[Illustration: FIGURE 23.--Dr. McNair's and Dr. Larzetti's acoustic oil
apparently were identical in every respect. Labels and directions, with
the difference only of the doctors' names, were quite obviously printed
from the same type.]

As the century moved along, the Comstock factory at Morristown reduced
the number of remedies it manufactured, and concentrated on the ones
that were most successful, which included, besides the Indian Root
Pills, Judson's Mountain Herb Pills, Judson's Worm Tea, Carlton's
Condition Powders, Carlton'