B549 <=> B551 [BTG XXXI Last sojourn to Earth, p. 550]

“’The form thus written is dispatched to him who sent the Dover’s powder, and the famous analytic-chemist himself is quite at peace as no one knows that he has made no analysis at all, nor could anyone check him, first because he is the only official analytic-chemist in the town, and secondly, because even if one of these powders of ours should be taken to any other phenomenal chemist in another town, nothing alarming could happen . . . are there no other Dover’s powders in the world? The packet of powder he analyzed no longer exists, because naturally in making the analysis he had to destroy it.

“’Besides, no one is to be found who, for the sake of three kopecks’ worth of Dover’s powder, would kick up such a fuss.

“’At all events, venerated Doctor, for thirty years now I have been making these powders according to the prescription of “ours,” and I certainly sell them; and up to today I have never had any misunderstanding on account of these Dover’s powders of ours. And no misunderstanding can occur, because Dover’s powder is already generally known everywhere and everybody is convinced that it is excellent for a cough.

“’And as regards how the remedy is made and what it contains, what does it matter?

“’Personally, in my handling of these remedies for many years, a definite opinion has been formed in me that none of the remedies known to contemporary medicine can be of any use at all without faith in it.