A wonderful deception

Now I've done something that will shock everyone; I've bought a book. At first glance it would appear to be nothing especially wonderful, aside from the fact that it's fairly old -- circa 1869 -- and covered in a much rubbed paper over rounded boards. The cover of the book claims that this is a copy of Brooks Primary Arithmetic: The Normal Primary. This isn't what the book contains at all, though. Someone has made this into something of a book of useful knowledge, ripping out all of the original pages and sewing in their own. The new book is made up of only two signatures. The first is either one signature from a larger book or an entire book without its title covers and title page. Regardless, it contains recipes for cookies, main courses, and medicines, along with testimonials and advertisements such as the following:

"Mothers. Mothers. Mothers. Don't fail to procure MRS. WINSLOW'S SOOTHING SYRUP for all diseases incident to the period of teething in children. It relieves the child from pain, cures wind colic, regulates the bowels, and by giving relief and health to the child, gives rest to the mother."

The second signature contains clippings from newspapers and books that have recipes or medical advice. These have been pasted onto lined paper that had been used for lessons of some sort and which were cut down to fit this book. Each paper has a line of text written across the top, and this text, often scripture, had been copied out over and over on the pages. Written upside down in this section is a record of marriages, deaths, and addresses. Such a wonderful find! I think I'll take it to work this week and see if my boss will let me make a phase box for this charming bit of history.