The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1869-01-13
CONCERNING ADVERTISEMENTS.


CONCERNING ADVERTISEMENTS.
We have inserted for week or two past the
advertisement of Sovereign Tobacco An.
'ic(o;e," by Mr. John W. Rison, of this city
In doing so, it is proper to accompany 1t with
some explanation OF the course pursued
in regard to what are termed medical ddUef-
tisenaents, for some of which patent has been
secured others have none.
Many papers through the country, religious
as well as political, fill their columns with such
advertisements, setting forth their respective
claims to public favor in the most inflated
terms
Now two facts are well known concerning
this literature generally. One is that most OF
them are arrant humbugs-the noisy swarm
of this year passing away only to be succeeded
next year by another still more noisy and
worthless.
Others contain ingredients long and well
known to medical science; aud about the only
difference between them and the regular dose
administered by an accredited physician is that
the buyer gets it from the quack or his agent,
with flaming, pretentious label, and has the
satisfaction OF paying, from .fre to ten prices
for it,
Others are either positively worthless, or
contain ingredients that make the remedy
worse than the disease What are we to think
of the various Litters so freely advertised
over the courtry? They are in general just Sc
many traps to catch the unwary or unstable.
No more insidiOus devices could be selected.
Alcohol is an almost invariable ingredient,
and in this way the love for strong drink is
either formed or INDUCED.
Another fact should be known. Most, If
not all of them, contain opium. La the vol
ume recently published called " The Opium
HrLjt, "a look of appalling revelatious--we
ind the following stated concerning one OF the
victims spoken of: lie had first learned ats
seauctjoas, as happens ,oith u cast majority Of
ARgl0- SAIGON opium eaters, through a medical
prescription, the pain was assuaged by
internal doses of Mediums Elexir, - totally
ignorant of the terrible trap which lay grnning
under the bait he dabbled with. This was
the way that gifted genius, poor Coleridge, was
overthrow. The mass of our people are liz
tie aware what rapid strides this terrible
opium habit" is making through our
country.
Is it morally right to admit such advertise
ments? On the one hand it is certain that the
proprietor of newspaper is not responsible
for the truth OF everything advertised. La re-
gard to most things it may be safely presumed
chat there is no imposition practiSed and the
Judgment of the public concerning the genuine
ness and value of the article, will be a sufficient
safeguard. But on the other hand, in regard
to these medical advertisements the case Is
VIGOROUSLY different Here and there may be
found one of merit, but the presumption con-
corning them as a class is that they are de-
ception, many of them positively ensnaring
aud injurious. lot a few of them are inserted
IN many of tn public journals in terms con-
Meeting them with the most filthy aud loathe-
some associations, while a modified and more
decent form is prepared for the religious press
We cannot, in conscience, allow the paper
in our hands to be used, or rather prostituted
for the advantage of such advertisers, or for
our own pecuniary advantage. We could east
y enough have filed it with them and at the
same time our pockets with the proceeds. To
have done so, would have been to lend the
columns of a paper established and upheld for
the support of religion and good morals, to
what we conscientiously believe to be immoral
and perniciOuS.
We have, therefore, as general rule, stead
Easily excluded these offers Our determine
ton is to admit none but such as bring reason
able proof that they are beneficial. Now and
then, as has been already admitted, these may
be found In all such cases, We intend to state
at the time the grounds upon which they are
inserted, and thus assume, so far as it proper
IL belongs to US, share in the responsibility
of publishing them.
In regard now to this TobOccO ARtidote, we
can state nothing from personal experience.
To the soothing, comforting properties so com
monty claimed for the weed itself, we have been
life long stranger. The same may be said toe
of the sOyrOacs it sometimes brings on-except
once, while yet boy, but wishing to become
prematurely man. In this brief. but memo
rable experience, ('hOyresco refereas, the
define ordnance of the rod, in faithful parental
hands easily effected a permanent cure-an
Old fashioned remedy which, it timely admin
iStered might have proved equally beneficial
10 many dear brethren and good people who
are now probably beyond recovery, unless it be
By the virtue of our friend RiSons Antidote.
Concerning its efficacy We can only state this
that we have known Mr. Risen long and we'll
chat both he and Maj. Noble, whose certificate
is appended, are faithful deacons in the Pad
PRESBYTERIAN Church, Ode HOge's, in Rich
mopd-and that more e>timable, Trustworthy
gentlemen cannot be found in this community.
Whether the aatidote will prove absolutely
''sovereigu" in all cases, We cannot say. But
from the character of Mr. Rison. as well as the
testimony of more than one who has tried it,
we have reason TO believe there is virtue in il.
Whoever, therefore, may wish TO free himself
from an inveterate habit, which few evea
among its votaries would pronounce good, will
do well to give this remedy fair trial 1t
will cost them but fifty cents, and may save a
good round sum wherewith to buy Sundry good
things for his family, or to cast into the
treasury Of the Lord. Doctors bills, growing
out of abstinence, will not be formidable.
p. S. 1t should have been stated that the
same trustworthineSs ascribed to Messrs. Ri.
son and Noble, belong equally to the certificate
OF DR.. Dove. Also, that other tobacco anti
dotes have been offered for advertisement,
which have been declined, simply because we
have no knowledge whatever of the parties
presenting then.