Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1857-05-28

or discovery, and of the manner and process OF
making, constructing, using. and eompounding
the same, in such full, clear, and exact terms,
avoiding proli1ity, as to enable person skilled
in the art or science to which it pertains or with
which it is most nearly connected, to make, con-
struct and use the same"
The Act also provides that the inventor shall
accompany his application, "With specimens Of
ingredients, and of the composition of matter,
sufficient in quantity for the purpose Of expert.
ment, where the invention or discovery is of
composition of matter" It further provides that
the applicant shall make oath, that he does not
know or believe that the composition Of matter
was ever before known or used. These and the
other requirements of the law being complied
with, provision is made for critical examination
into the merits and character Of the alleged in
vention, and ''if the Commissioners shall deem it
to be sufficiently useful and important, it shall be
his duty to issue patent therefor"
1t may be very readily perceived that this is
very different course Of procedure, from that Of
fling label in the Clerks Office; which label Is
not even indicative of the character Of the COM
pound it is to cover. The law provides for truth
full statement of the ingredients and proportions
of every patented compound. The purpose and
effect Of the provision are two-fold. In the first
place, the means are afforded for an intelligent
and careful examination into the compound, in
order to determine whether it Is worthy of the
countenanee of the government; and secondly, sf-
ter the termination of the duration Of the privili.
ges secured by the "Letters patent" the neces-
sary knowledge is at hand, to make the invention
directly available to the public, by furnishing to
all, knowledge Of its ingredients and mode of
preparation. There is something open in these
requirements, and in the whole course Of procsed.
ing marked out in relation to patents, and the
fact u.s. just as one would suppose, that there sre
really very few Patent medicines" The medi-
cines sold as such, are nearly all Of them utterly
destitute of any real basis for the pretencs under
which they are imposed upon the public.
am'iuformed that it is the practice in many Of
the Judicial Districts, to record labels Of medl.
cines; and suppose it is done 70 avoid the trouble
and il-will engsndsred BY refusal And Thave
no doubt, that If the matter was properly investi-
gated and duly considered, the practice would be
discontinued, for Congress never designed by an
Act for the ENCOURAGEMENT OF LEARxIso, that
Quacks should impose their miserable mixtures
upon the public, by the mere apparent encourage
ment that's given. .
The view Of the law respecting 'patent medi-
cines, as above given, Messrs. Editors, / dc not
pretend to be original with myself; It is but right,
however, to say, that have 1t from good author
ity. ,S{
In addition to the pretended s'Patent" for such
medicines, We see our country flooded with alma
macs, newspapers and circulars of various kinds,
every nook and corner of the Union,
filed with glowing accounts Of wonderful cures:
and the mind, swell as the body, being snfsebled
by disease, is apt to grasp at any medicine, or
means, that even promises relief; and these SO
called "Potens nostrums" being highly recon-
m ended by numbers Of certificates, (a vast ma
jority of which are forgeries) and every other
means that would be likely to increase their SALE
ore always at hand; Consequently, an almost in.
credible amount is sold, bought, and used annual
ly, without any regard to age, sex, constitution,
race, climate Or stage Of disease, which must in
evitably increase largely, the amount Of suffering
Of the human family; in addition ito theamonsy
that is paid for them, which enrichss their pro-
prietors, and enables them to live, at ssse and
laugh at the credulity of those at whose expense
they grew rich. gSsS
at one time, calomel and some other mineral
medicines fell into disrepute, (from abnse, and
these crafty charlatans, took advantage Of this op
portunity to condemn and stigmstize the eof
all mineral substances as medicines, and paint out
in hideous forms the effects likely to result from
IN injudicious use of them; and the consequence
is, that all the vile compounds that have been ven
ded for many years, as .sPatent medicines" hays
as one Of their greatest recommendations, the
assurance that they are composed entirely Of vege-
table substances which at least in some instsn-
ces is false; for their base is sometimes found, BY
analyzation, to be active mineral poisons.
The most Of. these nostrums are manufactured
by wholesale, they are made by ;mashinsry;a
heterogeneous compound is thrown into mill. and
'ut pours the pills by box-falls; and how little
reliance can be placed in the qa1tity or in the
Ingredients Of each pill Ifan individual should,
~ accident, happen tobe cured by the use of such
mixtures, there is but little more hope Of an in
7alid neighbor meeting with the, same good luck,
han the mule that was laden with wool did, by
going into water because his fellow that was laden
With salt, had been relieved in the same way.
How different with the judicious and honorable
practitioner. He always selects the medicines he
wishes to administer to apatent, with due ref.
'rence to the effect he desires to produce, and the
constitutional peculiarities Of his patient; and,
whether he takes them from the mineral or peoe.
able Kingdoms, willalways proportion his doses
o the sex, age and condition Of the sick, the ses
on, the climate, and nature of the disease, and
hus render all the productions and powers Of ma
ure, subservient to the great purposes Of medioa-
ion, the renlvEsl Of disease, and preservation Of
lealth.' .r L.A.H.
Antioch, May %, 1867.
For the Enquirer.
ANSWER TO RIDDLE OF LAST WEEK.
All ye who vainly tax your brain,
To grasp the lore these lines contain;