The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1881-06-29

Now, as any doctor Will tell you,
there are drugs which, in certain
cases, do women great deal Of
good, and in others act on them
like slow poisons. The very
strength which makes them val
liable, makes them dangerous. i
am an old man now, and | recol-
lect easily the women Of forty
years ago. l tell you they were
stronger and healthier 10 every
way than those [ see now. Why
was it? The women of to-day do
the same kind Of work, although
not as much as their grandmotners
and mothers did ; they eat the
same kind Of food they live in
the same climate. | see constant
ly in the newspapers articles Ia
mentiug the physical degeneracy
Of the American women; but |
lave never seen, except in medl'
cal journals, any reference to what
| believe is the cause,-patent
medicines. Any druggist will tell
YOU that be sells six bottles 10
women where be sells cne to men.
Now, what are the drugs these
women are putting into them
selves in such quantities? What
is the effect of them upon the mo-
theirs of the American race? The
question is a serious one. You
know how the temperance move
ment is sweeping over the coun-
try ; you have read the articles
and heard the speeches which
prove that liquor is a poison
which is running the men. L am
a thorough believer in temper
ance, and l think the movement a
good one. But l have thought
sometimes that an sArti-Patent
Medicine Association would do as
much good to the race. If the
men are poisoning themselves
With rum, what are the women
doing with drugs? Physicians
will say that the child Of a drunk
en- man inherits tendency or de
sire for drink. What sort Of a
constitution do you suppose the
child of a man who drinks, and q
woman who has dosed herself Oh
the strength of the medical know
ledge contained in the patent med
icine advertisement, until she has
no stamina left, starts out in the
world with?
Yes, there is remedy for this.
and it is a very simple one. Let
the druggist know what there is
in the medicine they sell. The
druggists of this country can be
| safely trusted with the care ot
their ow-citizens; they are &C
| countable 10 the law for what
they sell, provided they know
what il is. Some of the States
have public or official analysts
It's a pity that all have not got
them; but that's neither here mol
there. Let some State with suct
an official pass a law requiring
any man who wishes to manufac
ture patent medicine within it,
borders to deposit With the public
ANALYST the formula of its compo
sition, and oblige that official t
analvze the medicine once a year
purchasing the same in open mar
ket. the sample does not COM
up 10 the formula, let the Attorne.
General prosecute the case. Th
penalty may be merely nominal
for the public, on hearing Of tb
prosecution, would punish th
manufacturer sufficiently by re
fuslng TO buy what be had to sci
| In the case | alluded to, here
was proved that a medicine wa
being dishonesty manufactured
the demand for it ceased in ST:
months, and what was a goo
property became worthless. The
let the analyst furnish a copy Q
the formula to any druggist upo
application. There would be n
danger to the owner of the med
icine, because the United State
patent and copyright laws ar
quite sufficient to protect him II
the ownership of mis- property
Nor would the makers of homes
medicines be injured; on the cor
trary, their trade would be ii
creased. But such a law woul
come down pretty heavily upo
the men who think and act as
having to pay an advertising ol
constitutes a diploma to prescrlo
and license to dispense drugs
both ir one. Yes, sir: a kno"