Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1873-05-29
HEALTH COLUMN.
Patent Medicines.
BY DIR. j. A. DUNLAP.

y
practice of drugging themselves with pat
ent nostrums.
Such we call them; for, in the majority
of cases, they are not deserving of the
title Of medicinal agents, being entirely
devoid of curative properties. The great
object kept in view in manufacturing
them, is to make them palatale rather
than curative. The shelves Of one side of
every drug store in the land are filled to
repletion with these compounds, which
had their origin in the brain of an empiric
totally ignorant of the principles of med
icine. On the strength of simulated GER
tificates of cures never performed, they
find a ready sale to all classes-to the
illiterate and educated alike.
We do not eXonerate the citizens of
Marshall County from all blame in this
particular, for they are ever ready to gulp
down their share at whatever cost of
money or of health Another object
aimed at by the proprietors of patent
medicines, is the making of immense for
tunes, instead Of the loftier design of ben
citing humanity; hence their compounds
are composed Of the cheapest materials
which will answer their purpose.
If they have sufficient means to adver-
tise with in the beginning, they are very
sure to win the goal of their ambition.
One of the moSl successful started in
1860, and retired in ten years with a pile
adequate to satisfy the most avaricious.
Such is the lucrativeness of the business.
Our principle objection to proprietary
medicines is based on this proposition
the same stage of the same disease in
different individuals, different stages of a
disease in an individual, and different
diseases all require special treatment.
The causes of "a disease and other cir
cumstances also have bearing on the
medicinal agents admin stored.
We call upon the entire medical pro-
fession as witnesses OF the truthfulness
of our statements. Such being the fact,
it is folly to suppose that one single med
icine, or any combination of drugs, will
cure disease at all times and under all
circumstances, much less remove the
multiplied ailments for which most pat
ent medicines are recommended, even sup
posing they possessed medical virtue. We
have no doubt, that if the skulls of all
those who have been sent to premature
grave by domestic drugging with patent
medicines and grandmother prescrip-
tions" could be collected, they would
make Chinese Wall around every cem-
etery in the land.
One class OF medicines has been par
ticularly abused by the plebeians. We
refer to cathartics. In this climate there
is generally 4 predisposition to irritation
of the mucus membrane of the stomach
and bowels. At such times carthartic
will only add fuel to the fre-develop a
predisposition into formidable disease,
from which, perhaps, the ablest physician
cannot rescue the patient. Dyspepsia,
diarrhGa and dysentery, cancer of the
stomach and bowels, constipation, piles
and other diseases of the aiementary
canal are frequently excited by this class
of remedies, where a previous propensity
to them exists. Bat, says the reader,
eve must take purgatlve occaionally to
cleanse the blood" Not by any means.
If you think your blood is impure, go to
your family physician, and if he is not an
old fogy he will select a good Alternative
from the Materia Medica suitable to your
case that will purify the circulation, and
avoid the necessity of taking drastic Ca
thartic.
Again, ''we must surely take one to
cleanse the stomach and bowels" Re
member that in the generality of cases,
the pills you propose to take, will irritate
these organs ten times more, and do
great deal more larm than the foul mat
ter of which you complain.
The idea of taking an emetic and cathar-
tic for everything is the remains of an eX-
ploded system of medical practice, and is
ceasing to command the respect of the
profession. We do not wish to be under
stood to say, however, that they should
never be giJen. When prescribed by an
intelligent physician, they are useful
classes of remedies. We only desire to
discourage their use by the people, who
are ignorant of the symptoms that con-
tra-indicate them.
Handle them not then, if you value
your life, unless by the advice of prac
titioner of medicines. Shun them-shun
all kinds medicines, and domestic drug
ging, for your system is composed of vi
tai organs that cannot be acted upon in
cesslntly with drugs, without being de-
vitalized
If any of these viceras fail your time
has come, and you must 60. 1t will
then be said ofyou that, ''the Lord has
called another of his children home"
when he isnot to blame, but you have
actually drugged yourself to death.
Another special class of them requires
particular notice, viz, those sold under
the title of "Bitters" They are nothing
more than whiskey disguised with aro-
matics to suit the taste.
In fact, one of their manufacturers, who
has made fortune from the sale of his
compound, was formerly a saloon keeper,
from which he raised himself to the dig
nified position of a dispenser of health to
the American people. They create an