The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-09-23
Worthless Medicines.

Worthless Medicines.
At the recent meeting of the South
Carolina State Board of Health the sub
committee ION the "sale Of Drugs and
Z Medicines" Of which committee DR.. 2.
A. Wilhite, of Anderson, is Chairman,
made the following report:
It ,iszmy duty, as Chairman of the
Standing Committee onthe Sale of Drugs
and Medicines, to investigate, and pro-
cure such information and facts on the
subject, as might be able to obtain, and
report to this Board.
/ find in the few upper counties in
which my investigations have been prln-
cipally made, that the country generally
is flooded with the most worthless nos
trums of every description, from the
electric button, suspended from the neck,
to the infants vflest soothing syrup.
a portion of these medicines, however,
are not brought into the country by drug.
gists, or other merchants, but fbya herd
of peddlers, who are prowling over every
neighborhood, distributing their tracts,
circulars, almanacs, etc.-just such trash
as,is most calculated tosdeceive the igno-
rant and credulous. These persons also
make agencies for their so-called medi-
cines, at any house, and with any one
that will take them for sale. 1t is this
) class of nostrnms which drug houses
consider too worthless to deal in, which
is thrown into the country in this way.
Itdoes really seem that great portion
of our people are, to certain extent,
demoralized on patent medicines. For
instance, it is with surprise that we see
men and women of refinement and intel
ligence, with a piece of brass and zinc
suspended from their necks, by q silk
cord, which is sold by these agents, and
:. believed to be perfect panacea for all
the ills to- which human flesh is heir.
The Introduction of injurious nostrums
is, in my humble opinion, one Of the
greatest evils which could be visited
upon people. It is equal in many re-
spects to an epidemic. Its vengeance is
slow. sure and continuous, We vacci.'
nate against small pox, and quarantine
against yellow fever, and yet / knowrof
no subiectsof More importance' to US ias
sanitarians than this, unprovided against.
We should, I think, in this protect our
citizens. We should therefore endeavor
to have onr State establish restrictions
against ibis injurious traffic. This can
be done Nv legislative enactments. Yet
q 81 do not intend to assert that all proprie.
/ tary medicines are hurtfnl; some of
: them NE know are very useful, but those
should be. selected and sold by proper
parties, I am well satisfied from my ex-
perience and observation, that there is.
no cause which SO completely under
mines the constitution, deranges the di-,
gestion, and prepares the general system
to become easy food for endemic and
epidemic diseases, as the indiscrimate
and daily dosing with unknown patent
medicines. -t.--@ 49, -
State medicine, or preventive medi-
cine;s regard to be that branch of knowl-
edge which treats of the general means
s to Be employed under public authority,
for the .pfeseryation of the public health.
4 Public hygiene will never have reached
its fol. development, until the social sta
tistician by, means of returns which
embrace diseases and causes of disease,
as we'll as death and causes of death
cleaflysp points out how remote events in.
: fiuence and modify disease, and how
these may be removed. This, I we'll
know, lis a vast field, and it requires a
broad grasp of mind to embrace all the
terms of so complex problem.
There was q bill before our last Legis.
s lature, which was unfortunately defeated,
the features Of which were to prohibit
s the Introduction and sale ofpatent med
icines in the State. am Informed that
had the Bill been introduced in a proper
form, it would have passed, without
doubt, and would have become law.
think something ofsthat kind would be
very proper now, at least, some law
. which will restrict the sale of medicines
to.regularly licensed druggi IS.
The law, as it now stands, requires
every merchant who expects to engage
in the sale of drugs and medicines, or in
other words, every druggist to go before
a board created by the State, and under
go a thorough examination in chemistry
and pharmacy. If the examination
: prove satisfactory, he receives a license
as a druggist. = He is then required to
Keep book, aud register the names Of
all persons who buy drugs regarded as
poisons, and also to keep poison.labels,
with their antidotes printed on them.
And an act passed in 1871-72 says:
"Any person who shall hereafter carry
on and conduct the business of said oc-
cupation, without such license, shall be
liable to indictment for nisdemeanorr,
and. on conviction, to fine not exceed
ing $500. or to imprisonment not exceed
ing six months"
In the answers have received to let
ters addressed to, parties in nearly every
county in-the State, making inquiries on
this subject, few names of such illicit
dealers are mentioned; but it is stated
that it is customary for merchants, gen.
orally, to keep an assortment of drugs
and medicines, regardless of what is re-
uuired by the statutes Of the State.
have thus briefly mentioned some Of
the evils which this Board may attempt
to correct, so as to promote the public
health, and to discharge the obligation
laid upon it. When the law decreed that
the State Board of Health should have
the general supervision OF the interest OF
the health and lives of the citizens, no
more solemn charge was ever laid upon
body of men by our Legislature. And
our Board, I trust, will not be unmindful
of what the State demands at its hands.
FAILURE NOT FAILURE.-The Sc
cret of happiness is to make the best of
everything. No matter what happens
to annoy, let it all glide along as easily
and with as few words Of complaint and
fault-6nding as possible. Little incon.
yeniences will intrude upon the most for.