Although extensively magnified in the box held by the top-hatted salesman, Pastilles Valda are in reality small green lozenges with a pleasant, aromatic flavor. As with similar products, they have an antiseptic, decongestant, and demulcent action that promises to "take care of colds, coughs, and sore throats." The product is still marketed throughout the world, the design of its label having changed little since this lithograph was made. William H. Helfand, from The Picture of Health: Images of Medicine and Pharmacy from the William H. Helfand Collection (1991), p. 46.