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White Ribbon, Volume 12, Issue 137, 15 October 1906, Page 10

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THE PATENT MEDICINE (TKSE. Springtime is probably flu* season of the year when tin* patent medicine vendor reaps his richest harvest. I*or undoubtedly life under our present generally unhygienic conditions does call f<»r a general spring cleaning of the body as well as the house. And sadly enough, too often art* Nature’s safe and efficient purifiers —fresh air. exercise, water, and light diet —passed by, while harmful decoctions are greedily and find their wa\ into the ALREADY I'OIS< >N-CII AKGED BLOOD. The W.C.T.C. in America, under its National Superin‘«*ndent. Mrs Martha M. Allen, has for years waged an unceasing war against the patent medicine evil. Indeed, it is largely owing to the efforts of Mrs Allen and her coadjutors that the deleterious nature of many of the so-called restoratives, cures, and purifiers have been made known. The Massachusetts Hoard of Health began the work of examining patent medicines, but Mrs Allen took up the task of making the results of these examinations known to the public in general and the VV.C.T.I . in particular. The greatest difficulty encountered lay in the fact that the Press throughout America and other lands lias, by reason of the extensive advertising. been financially interested in the evil, and naturally refused to enlighten tin* public in regard thereto. Now. happily, there is a movement amongst the more reputable journals to free themselves (even at gn at financial loss) from complicity with the wrong by giving to the world facts only too long withheld. So great is the curse in America that patent medicine has been called the American family divinity. With us in New Zealand tin* evil has not yet readied so acute a stage, but it is putting the case mildly to say that, even in our colony, HKAI.IU. HAPPINESS AND MoK.AI.ITV are greatly minimised in thousands of instances by these so-called cures. Giving an address upon the subject at Chautauqua, some time ago, Mrs Allen said : —“ When missionaries from over the ocean ltd 1 us in America of the gross Mi|>erstitions which hold in bondage the races among whom they labour, we are wont to flatter ourselves that, as a people, we have risen above

all the miserable superstitions of the past. Yet one stupendous superstition still abides with us; that is, the belief in the power of drugs to cure diseased conditions of the body. The idea seems to be that drugs are jtossessed of intelligence, and that to swallow them in sufficient doses is all that is necesary for a sick person to do; the drug will do the rest. So the most dangerous drugs those which skilled physicians are very cautious in using—many persons will prescribe for themselves ami their children, seemingly without a thought of {Possible harmful results. The newsjtapers frequently report sudden deaths from such reckless procedure, but the warnings are unheeded by the multitude. Unscrupulous men have amassed great fortunes by putting

on tin* market medicines with highsounding titles and with claims to miraculous cures. These medicines, which sell at a dollar a bottle, do not cost above lifteen or sixteen cents, bottle and contents; hence when well advertised to command large sales they soon bring in immense wealth. It is estimated that over ff 0,000,000 dollars are spent annually in this country upon patent medicines. If the results were as the advertised testimonials state, there could In* no objection to the sale or use of these nostrums beyond the enormous charge for them in proportion to the cost of production. Hut when DRI NKENNKbS, insanity, idiocy, many nervous diseases, and even moral ruin are laid to the charge of these medicines bv experts in the study of their effects, it is time that j>eople became acquainted with their real nature. Physicians and pharmacists know through their professional relations with the public of many of the wrecked lives resulting from the con-

tinued use of “cures which never cure; but if they sj>eak out their words are misconstrued into professional jealousy. When they find people willing to listen and learn they give the necessary warning. “ A short time ago a physician's wife told me of a woman who had come under her husband's care a drunkard from the use of a much-advertised remedy for women. Another physician recently reported a young woman who had been committed to an inebriate asylum for the cure of the morphine habit, the habit having resulted from taking a neuralgia curb. A third physician mentioned the case of a good tem|>eranee brother who was suffering from a disease which results from the continual use of moderate quantities of alcohol. Uj»on inquiry it was found that he Had been using a patent medicine containing a large percentage of alcohol. None ol these |H*rsons would have knowingly used intoxicating liquors or morphine, but tlie secret medicine with its loud claims to curative powers took them unawares into the snare of evil habit and undermined health. Taking tlx* nostrum in small doses they were not intoxicated by it, lmt its use day after day led to serious changes in the nervous equilibrium of the body and in the structure of the tissues and the cells. “ Many of the liquid proprietary ‘ foods are as ojieii to objection as the medicines, so far as alcoholic contents and lack of real merit are concerned. A writer in the Union Signal says: — 1 Spring medicines and blood purifiers are composed chiefly of sarsaparilla, stillingia, iodide of potassium and alcohol. The Massachusetts Hoard of Health, speaking of the use of iodide of jiotassium in medicine sold under the name of sarsaparilla, blood purifiers, Ac., says : —“ The unwary purchaser is led to believe that he is purchasing a harmless vegetable remedy, sarsaparilla. lodide of potassium IS CLASSED AMONG POISONS by nearly every writer on toxicology. “ Any student of the effects of alcohol upon the blood has learned that the presence of even small quantities of alcohol upon the blood hinders the red corpuscles from doing perfect work in absorbing oxygen and tln*s destroying impurities.* So it may be seen that the two chief constituents of most of tlx* spring medicines are injurious to the blood.”