QUACKS AND AURAL DISEASES.

Evening Star, Issue 14966, 28 August 1912, Page 7

QUACKS AND AURAL DISEASES.

11l the course of the evidence given on behalf of the British Medical Association before the Select Committee, presided over by Sir Henry Norman, appointed by the House of Commons, to inquire into flirt law relating to the sale and advertising of proprietary medicines, Mr Reginald E. Crosse, M.R.C.S., J..R.C.P., submitted examples of advertisements of preparations and appliances for the relief of women's ailments and for use for unlawful purposes. He said that such articles wwo extensively advertised in various publications. Tho British Medical Association gladly recognised that certain newspapers declined to accept such advertisements; but a groat deal of such advertising still took place, especially in the Midlands, ‘flic treatment by unqualified persons nf some of the diseases to which the advertisements in question had reference would be dangerous. The remainder of tho evidence of this witness was taken by tho committee privately. —.“ Cures' 1 for Deafness. — Mr P. Maeleod Yearsley, F.R.C.S., in giving evidence concerning the relation of proprietary remedies and appliances to aural diseases, said that advertisements addressed to sufferers from disease of (ho ear aud its symptoms, especially deafness and Tinnitus auruun, might lie dividod into two groups—there which promised to cure all forms of deafness “ without operation,” and, it might bo added, without diagnosis, by moans oi drugs variously applied, and those haring for their object the salts of some appliance. Among advertisers included in the first group he mentioned a number of persons whose favorite method, ho said, was to treat by correspondence and to charge large sums for worthless piasters, drops, snuffs, and the like. One preparation advertised as u “ deafness cure ” was composed chiefly oi 70 per cent; of scented vaseline and beeswax, soap, and a cheap sulphur compound. This was vended at 2s 9d and 4s Bd per tube, and was to bo rubbed in behind the cars. Anothei contained 45 per cent, of glycerine, 2i per cent, of oil, 3-6 per cent, of soap, 29.5 pci cent, of water, and traces of alcohol and oi. of rosemary, and was to be wormed and dropped into the car night and morning. A third, which was to he put into the car on cotton-wool, contained 16 per cent, of oil of turpentine, with 34 per cent, oi a fixed oii. These so-called cures were fairly typical of I the worthlessness of the " remedies,” and both 'the second and third were capable oi doing considerable mischief, as cue contained oil which, dropped in Ihs ear, v.ou.d tend to become rancid and ad as an irritant, and the other, with 16 per cent, of oil oi turpentine, would certainly prove an active irritant. At various times he had seen in his clinic at the Royal Ear Hospital patient; with advanced middle, ear deafness, absolutely incurable by any drop tieairocnfc, win. had 'been using "quack” remedies of the sort mentioned, wi'th the result that their cat passages wore in a, condition oi severe eczematous inflammation. —Harmful and Pangcroiu Trc.afincut.— The witness gave particulars of three ca-n - which had come under his own observation ' to show, the futility of treatment by cor- | rcspondoncc, and that owing to the ignoraiu-t or roguery, or both, of the so-called spe- j ciaiist ” at a "quad;” Institution an inter view was equally farcical. In two of the cases of which lie had given details life, was > really in danger as lung as tiro conditions i from' which the patients suffered existed. I The "quack” appliances advertised were for j the most part vibrators and ‘'artificial ear! drums.” Vibratory massage was of undoubted value in one form of deafness, provided thal it was used with caution and under skilled supervision; but, carelessly applied, it might do more harm than good, especially if long continued. Even in cases in which it was of service good might be. turned to harm if the treatment were continued after the maximum of benefit had been attained. Such iii.Arumeni s used by patients iodiscriminatclv might therefore be pud lively harmful. 'So-called artificial drums were of value in corf; l in cases, but most, of tho patterns made were useless. The best form, now almost exclusively used by surgeons, was the coil on pellet or wick. All the forms veudtd by "quacks” belonged eo the rubber disc and metal stem variety, or were simply rubber tubes closed at one cud. These forms might cause considerable irriiataon. Sometimes they were pur into the car by patients and became iori ; and he had twice laid to remove—onco under an anresthetic—such foreign bodies, from ear passages swollen with inflammation and bathed in foul pus. Artificial drums, as sold by "quacks,” cost, from one to four guineas a pair. In the catalogue of a well-known instrument maker he found the tamo articles priced at Is and 2s.