B551 <=> B553 [BTG XXXI Last sojourn to Earth, p. 552]

“Well, enough of that. . .

“If you should really have to exist among these favorites of yours, you will at least know from this last talk of mine that although the physicians there write a dozen wiseacring names in their prescriptions, yet in these official establishments of theirs which are called pharmacies their remedies are prepared almost always after the fashion of that Dover’s powder.

“It even happens there that occasionally these kind pharmacists prepare early in the morning a whole barrel of some liquid and a whole box of some powder, and during the entire day they satisfy everyone bringing prescriptions, either by pouring from that common barrel or by taking powder from that common box.

“In order that this mixture prepared betimes should not always have the same appearance, these kind professionals put in something for coloring with various colors and for changing the taste and smell.

“In spite of all that I have said, however, I advise you very strongly to be extremely careful with one kind of their remedies, because it does sometimes happen there that these kind pharmacists put into these mixtures something poisonous for the planetary body – of course, by mistake.

“Moreover, for the beings with normal reason the custom has been established there, of course accidentally, always to depict on the labels of mixtures of that kind what is called a ‘skull and crossbones,’ so that it may be possible always to distinguish that kind of poisonous remedy from the ordinary medicinal means.

“However, in any case, do remember that from among the number of many thousands of known ‘medical means’ applied by the contemporary physicians there only three, and even then only sometimes, produce some or other real results for the planetary bodies of your contemporary ordinary three-brained beings.