Mrs Crupp, la logeuse de David Copperfield, est atteinte d'un mal chronique :
At about this time, I made three discoveries: first, that Mrs Crupp was a martyr to a curious disorder called "the spazzums," which was generally accompanied with inflammation of the nose, and required to be constantly treated with peppermint; secondly, that something peculiar in the temperature of my pantry, made the brandy bottles burst; thirdly, that I was alone in the world, and much given to record that circumstance in fragments of English versification.
De même que la maladie de Mrs Crupp a deux noms, il y a deux médicaments pour la traiter, le premier d'une complexité incroyable, le second tout simple :
She came up to me one evening (...) to ask (...) if I could oblige her with a little tincture of cardanums mixed with rhubarb, and flavoured with seven drops of the essence of cloves, which was the best remedy for her complaint;--or, if I had not such a thing by me, with a little brandy, which was the next best.