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

N'AiUilnA ppfte AeO3iu OIL t1eattn ttos H9u-
committee on fbe ''Sale OF Drugs and
Medicines" Of which committee DR.. p.
A. Wilhiter of Anderson, is Chairman,
made the following report:
il is my duty, as Chairman of the
standing Committee onthG Sale of Draas
and Medicines, TO investigate, aud pro-
cure such information and facts on. the
subject. as might be able to obtain, and
report 10 this Boosd.
fad in the few upper counties in
which my investigations have been prin-
cipally made. that the country generally
10 flooded with the most worthless nos
trums of every description, from the
electric button, suspended from the neck.
to the infants yilest soothing syrup.
a portion Of these medicines, however,
arc not bronghtalt0 the country by drug.
gists, or other merchants, but by % herd
OF peddlers, who arc prowliDg over every
neighborhood, distributing their tracts,
circulars, almapacs, etc.-just such trash
asis most calculated to- ldecei7e the 'gno-
rant and efedulous.s These PERSONS also
make agencies for their so-called medi-
cines, at any house, aud with any one
that will take them .forsale. 1t Isl this
class Of nostfnns Which drug houses
consider too worthless TO deal in, which
is thrown into the country in this way.
1t does really seem that great portion
OF our people are, TO o certain extent,
demorallzed lon patent medicines. For
instance, it is with surprise that we SEQ
men and women of refinement and intel
ligence, with piece of brass and zinc
suspended from their necks, by q elk
cof1, which is sold by these agents, and
believed TO be u perfect panacea for all
the ills to which human hesh is heir,
The introduction Of injurious nostfums
ia, in my humble opinion, one Of the
greatest evils which could be visited
upon u people. 1t is equal in many re-
specta to an epidemic. Its vengeance is
slow. sure and continuous. We yacci-i
nate against small pox, and quarantine
against yellow fever, and yet knowof
ho subject iof moro Importance to us iaB
sanitarians than this, unproyided against.
We should, Iithink; in this protect DUR
citizens. We should therefore endeayor
to have our State establish restrictions
against this injurious traffic. This can
be done by legislative enactments.. Yet
do not intend to assert that ali proprie.
tary medicinea are hurtful; Bomo of
them we know are very useful, but those
should be, selected and sold by proper
parties. l atl well satisfied from my ex-
perience end observation, that there is
no cause which so completely under
mines the constitution, deranges the di-
to become easy food for endemic end
epidemic diseases, as the indiscri,nate
and daily dosing with linknown patent
medicines. Aes'r. era-'.. . - s-..-
State medicine, or preventive medi-
2 cine. i regard TO be that brancho knowl-
edge which treats Of the general means
to he employed under public authority,
for the preservation of the public health.
Public hygiene iyin never have reached
its full development, until the social sta
tistician lby. means of returns which
embrace diseases and causes of disease,
as well. rs death and catises of deathl,
clearly points out how remote seVefte iri- II
fueuce and modify disease. and how
these may be remc-ed. Thie, II we'll
know, is q vast field, aud it requires q
broad grasp of mind, to embrace all the
terms of SO complex q problem.
There was o bill before our last tLegis.
lature, which was sunfortunateiy defeated,
the features of which were to prohibit
the introduction and sale OF patent med1
ieines in the State. am Informed that
had the Bill been introduced ina proper
form, il would have passed, without
doubt, and would have become q law. Il
think something Of that kind would be
very proper now, at least; some law
which will restrict the sale of medicines
toregulRrly licensed druggists. ". i.,,s
The laws as! it now stands, requires
every merchant who expects to engage
in tho sale OF drugs and medicines, or in
other words, every druggist to 20 before
n board created by the State, and under-
go . thorough examination in chemistry
and phermacy., IfEkhe examination
prove satisfactory, he receives license
as n druggist.g He is then required to
keep q book, and register the names Of
nil persons who buy d:ags regarded as
poisons, and also to skeep, poison Isabella,
with their antidotes printed on them.
Aud san act passed in lST1177 2 saya:
Any person wlio shall hereafter carr,
on,and conduct the bpsiness of said oc.,
cupation, withohtsucb licenss,S Shall Be
liable to indictment fdss q misdeineaii5S.., !,
Z aud, on conviction, to d fine not exceed.
itig $500. or To imprisonmeH not exceed
ing six months" eIsJ
In the answers have received to let
ters addressed tok parties 3sn nearly every
county IN the Stake, making Inquiries on
this subject, few names of such Illicit
dealers are mentioned; but it is stated
that it is customary for merchants, gem
orally, TO keep aft assortment of drugs
& and medicines, regardless of what is re.
quired by tue statutes 6ff' I'd ) s5ttatSS.
have thus briefly mentioned sDrIe bt
thu evils which which this Boafd may sttellp pt
& to correct, SO as to promote the, public
health, and to discharge tho obligation
laid upon it. When the law Secreed that
tue State Board of Health should have
- = I.L LsEl