SECRET "CURE ALLS."

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11359, 10 April 1915, Page 8

SECRET "CURE ALLS."

BRITISH COMMITTEE'S REPORT. DRASTIC RECOMMENDATIONS. A report of a select qonimitte© of The House of Commons contains druj&tio proper lis for tho regulation of tha trade in secret and proprietary remedies and appliances. Thie report is a voluminous document, containing a mass of evidence oonoerning the wealth winch has been derived by some of tho proprietaries from, tho aaie of medicines, and interesting disclosures regarding tho composition of many of the supposed secret remedies, and oure-alls. Among tho conclusions arrived at br the committee _ was the discovery there was an increasing sale in Great) Britain or patent and proprietary rams* dies aoid; appliances, and medicated wines. Many of the committee states, 2tedo exaggerated claims of efficiency which aaused injury by leading sick persons to delay in seeking medical advice conotanmug their ailments. Some of tha remedies also contained a largo proportion of alcohol in a disguised form. There were certain medicines sold as cures for diaeases wkioh wore incurable by medication. Such so-caLled remedies wore deliberately fraudulent. After dealing at length with oases of this kind, the committee recommended tho establishment of a department to oontrol the salo of patent and proprietary medicines, ana to establish a register of manufacturers and proprietors of secret and patent remedies* The committee also recommended that provision should be made for an exact and complete statement of the ingredients and proportions which patent secret and proprietary remedies contained, and the suppression of appliances for the cure or ailments (other than recognised surgical appliances), aad the establishment of a court or commission with power to prohibit, in the publio interest, or on the grounds of non-com-phanco with tha law, the sale or advertisement of any patent remedy or appliance. The commission being a judicial authority, would consist of a magistrate and two assessors. Li the case of prohibition, proprietors would liave tho right to appeal to the High Court. The Department would bo empowered to require the name and proportion of'any poisonous or potent ingredient contained in remedies to be exhibited on' the label. In the c&s© of medicated wfeoa or other proprietary lines, containing more alcohol than is required for pharmacological purposes, the proportion of aloohol must be stated on tho label. The advertisement and sale of " cures " foa- the following diseases the committee recommended should bo prohibited :—Cancer, consumption, lupus, deafness, diabetes, fits, epilepsy, locomotor ataxia, Bright's cuseaso and rupture (without operation and appliances). That the aavartisemente of remedies likely to be used for improper purposes should be ed is also one of the. committee s recoJn* mendations. It should be a breach <tf the law, the report states, for a ptt>prietary to ohange the composition of a remedy without notifying tne Department, and also to enolose with on© remedy printed matter recommending another, notifying sufferers to correspond with the patentee of the remedy, to make u&e of the names of fictitious persons in connection with the remedy, and to make use of fictitious testimonials and< recommendations of secret remedies by medical practitioners unless their full names and qualifications and addresses are given. A promise to return money if a our© is not effected should, tho committee thinks, be disallowed. In conclusion, the commits tee expresses the belief that any legislative action on the linos suggested would not infliot injustice to any patent or proprietary medicine or appliance, but would afford the publio sufficient protection against injury and fraud, and that no measures of a smaller scope would secure this result.