River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1874-09-04
Receipts for making DIR. Sagc's Ca.
tarrh Remedy and DR.. Pierce's
GOlen Medical Discovery.

claims to scientific character, published what
was represented as being the f0unulT or re-
ceipts for making DIR. Sage's Catarrh Remedy
1 and DR. Pierce Golden Medical Discovery. The
/ people were left to infer that these had been
deducted from a careful chemical analysis of
the medicines, which are rapidly growing in
popular favor in that as well as in this and
most other civilized countries. The receipts
were evidently invented by those jealous of
/ the reputation and large sale which these
medicines are rapidly acquiring and who are
pecuniarily interested in endeaVoTing to check
! their sale. SO rediclously preposterous are
those receipts that medicines compounded
after that could never have gained any reputa-
/ ton or sale in any country, for they would be
| so caustic, poisonous Immediately and posi-
! lively injurious, as in every case to be prompt
/ ~ condemned by the people on the first trial
as miserable, dangerous and wicked humbugs
/ whereas, 1t II a well-known fact that all my
medicines enjoy the reputation, honestly earn
ed, of being not only etficacious, but perfectly
4 mild, pleasant and harmless in effects. Not
withstanding however, that the bogus receipts
were so ridiculously preposterous as scarcely
I to have been believed by the most unscientitic.
thoughtless and unsuspecting people yet
strange and incredible as 1t may seem,
a paper of high scientific pretensions,
/ published in this country, copied the
/ fictitious receipts from the German paper.
This they evidently did without moments
reflection, for that much consideration, given
/ by an intelligent mind, to the receipts and the
properties and effects of the mixtures that
would result from such a compromising of
well-known caustic and poisonous chemicals
and drugs would have condemned them as
/ bogus fabricatious, and the pretentous pub
| fishers of the paper that originally inserted
/ them, as either knaves on fools. On my atten-
| ton being called TO the matter in order that
some thoughtless and over credulous people
/ Id
such an announcement in paper laying claims
| to scientific character as well as TO clear
myself of the imputation of being guilty of
! perpetrating wicked fraud upon the people,
as such announcement. if uncontradicted,
would imply, |, as proprietor and manufacturer
of the aforesaid celebrated medicines, went
before a magistrate and made oath to the fact
that the said receipts were utterly false. My
affidavit was sent to the publishers of the pa
per into which the bogus receipts had been
copied, and IN subsequent issue an editorial
notice was given of my denial. But. notwith-
standing such correction and denial, made
under oath, certain individuals, who lounge
around and infest our large cities, gaining
livelihood by perpetrating all kinds of catch
penny frauds upon the credulOus. were there
by given the hint that, as my medicines we're
universally popular, by advertising for sale
bogus receipts for making them, they could
get lots of ignorant people to bite at their bait.
One Frank NJ Reed, of 139 Eighth street,
New York, who publishes Love and Court
ship cards, a " Fortune Teller and Dream
Book" The histories of Love Making"
How to Woo and how to Win" and various
other swindles, sends his dupes the following
in exchange for their stamps. II is copied
from the papers alluded to and is as follow:
g For DIR. Sage's Catarrh Remedy, take eight
grains Carbolic Acid seven grains of Cam
phor, and two and a half grains of common
Salt, the whole to be colored with little Prus-
sian blue This makes a powerful caustic
mixture as unlike DIR. Sage's Catarrh Remedy
(Which is perfectly unirritating, mild, soothing
and pleasantly as light is from darkness. AS
"a burnt child breads the fire, if any have
been so foolish as to have burned their noses
sore with this caustic compound thinking that
they were using the same as DIR. Sages cele-
brated Catarrh Remedy, they will, it is to be
hoped, profit by the lesson thereby taught
them and not be so ready next time to bite at
every catch-pemiy advertising dodge that
swindlers may offer them. For DIR. Pierce's
| Golden Medical Discovery the bogus receipt
reads Take four drachms purified Honey,
fifteen grains extract poisonous Lettuce, thirty
grains of OPIUM, three and fourth ounces
/ dilute Spirits, three ounces water. Mix" or
this ridiculous bogus formula | will say, as
did under oath, not one Of he medicinal or
poisonous ingredients therein giUeR enters into
/ the composition Of nly Golden Medical DlScOg
! ~! And furthermore, l will say that / defy
all the chemists i'll the world to ascertain, by
chemical analysis, the composition of any of
my Family Medicines, as they cannot be ana
| lyzcd so as to determine their ingredients
many of which are new in medicine and, like
nearly all vegetable extracts, there are no
known reagents or chemical tests by which
their presence can be determined. If any fur
ther proof is wanted to satisfy any person
that the receipt given above is utterly false,
let that person have the mixture, as given,
compounded and not only will ii be seen to be
entirely unlike my Discovery in appearance,
but if further test is wanted. by taking a
dose of it, it will be found to produce drowsi-
ness and stupor, whereas my Discovery in
ever so large doses produces no such effect.
Others, located in different cities and engaged
in advertising for sale bogus receipts for maxi
ing my medicines send those that bite at their
bait other and various ridiculous formula.
One sent out by villainous knave, located in
Chicago, gives the chief ingredient of DIR.
Sage's Catarrh Remedy as being Blue Vitriol,
which is only equaled in absurdity by another
issued by parties in Philadelphia who saw that
the ingredients composing DR.. Sage's Catarrh
Remedy are burnt Alum, white Nitriol, Sugar
of Lead and Prussiate of Iron, and that my
Golden Medical Discovery is " simply Syrup
and tincture of Ginger" In refutation of all
the various and ridiculous bogus receipts for
making my medicines that have ever been. or
may hereafter be published and circulated. |
would say that | have, in dealing with he peo-
pie, ever been governed by the maxim that
honesty is the best policy" and that, "suc-
cess makes success" for it is because some
sufferer has obtained relief and cure, that that
sufferer has sent another to me aud it is be-
cause thousands have been cured that they
have recommended me and my superior
remedies to other thousands of sufferers. In
this way | am constantly making hUiRg adver-
tisements for myself and medicines. II is a
common thing to hear people say that plenty
of advertising will make a success out Of any
thing, whether il has any merit or not. Moth
ing could be farther from truth. Il is with tbis
delusiye idea actuating them that thousands
have rushed headlOng into advertising, only to
find themselves bankrupt ia a little while
Not more than one in five hundred, WAC en-
Cages IN advertising medicines, ever makes n
financial success out of the undertaking, for
the reason that medicine TO be successful
must possess unusual and extraordinary merit
1t is not enough that ii should be remedy Of
far efficacy it must possess superior and
1r0pie,Jm remedial properties, for If it does
not, those who use il with tho most sanguue
expectations will condemn il. They will ex-
pect much Of il, and II must be equal TO the
test or II will prove ruinOus 30 the proprietor
For, although a great display OF Advertising
viii, many times, create considerable imme-
0iate demand for the ulticlp advertised vet If