The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1881-01-12
Ouack Medicines AMI the Religious
Press.
fMctlicut Record.

Nv
In n previous issue we made some criticisms
upun The practice INDUCED IN ny rcilSlnus
Journals. OF advertising qutrk meulclnes. we
believe that there can be but one view taken
of this practice In question, which IS that IL
encourages harmful imposiiions, and Is gross
IL inconsistent with the principles OF chris.
tan morality prolcsscd by tho papers in qucs-
ton.
tOO-who openly refuse 10 be tr:linlllellcd by
what they are pleased to call the prCJudIceS ol
doctors. AS long MS this Independence con-
cernSonly the adhesion to the various plthlcS
that dal.rlc about real medicine, we have
nothing to say. Tho intelligence which can
too co"rced into q faith in infinitcSiina's IS TOO
small TO affect anything but our SHnhlathlrs,
AMI we have found the clergy, ms IL whole,
quite above the weak ncSScs OF d0:lnatIc mcu.
jcinc. But ibis ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF PATENT
ed nOStrunIS, which the organs OF the clerical
profession give, is q~uiteanothrr thing. In al
most every caSr there are statements regard
ing the properties OF the mixtures advcrtlScd.
witch are absolutely false. Moreover, this
lalSity is too glarinE TO ALLOW OF any excuses
for its endorsement on the score OF ignorance.
Every intelligent and wcll-informea man,
whether medical or clerical, knows that there
is no specific for consumption. or for cancer,
OF for Bright's disease; furthermore, every
man who assumes the responsibility OF q
widely circulated journal ought to act In ac-
cordance with such knowledge. The adrer-
tiScmpnt Of q patent medicine, therefore.
means in every case the proclamation Of Il
vi IttlNN ii''Fts WIN "A W. w.
be sure, are ingrIiOrsly wordcd so rs TO give
the impression that the drugs arc specifies
without actually saying so. But the lie Is IN
them just tho same; ct these untrue STATE.
mcntS are published in nearly every religious
Journal in the land. and are read and doubt
less believed by thousands.
In an examination Of the recent nu1nberSO or
Icud;nu religious wceklics We found that the
false assertions las defined abOvc) regarding
the efficacy of Quack remedies were aurcrtlS-
cd in about The following prunortlonhtc num-
Der of times in each issue: Mon's Herald, |! A;
CUnyrcgutioudtit, :; Examiner and Chronicle,
3: Independent, B.; Ojscrrer, I; Adrocdtc, J.;
baptist Hrekiy. 3: Christian Union, .; Appcnt,
=; christian al Work, &; Eranyelist. 9. Total. 80.
1t .hOuId be said III the above enumeration
we only count one nliS-Statcnrrit to each nos
trum, when. as IL rule, there arc half Il dozen
false statements or implications attached TO
every announcement
With regard to lie character of the mcndAc-
ity thus so extensively prrpCtratcd, we gladly
admit that n certain proportion OF the idrcr-
ti>cincn;S are, medically speaking. harmless.
That is to say, the person who buys an aplll-
ancc which IS advertised in the EGdngeiLI as
1.-THE only specific for malaria will probably
not tc directly injured by wearing the appur-
tenance thus evnnsrlicaiiy endorsed. On the
other hand, it Is a i.lct that the sure and per-
manent cures promised will not be made, and
that any benefit Obtained will be due to some
ordinary drug, or To the Imagination. On the
whole, however, the cifcct OF patent medicines
upon the system. as well as upon society, Is
cNlIcIIlSIN UGI. INoIilC III h'tllStlcNStS WIN
are entirely inert, all arc ridiculously high
priced, and I'll fail TO fulfill the promises made
lor them. The purchaser wastes his money,
prolongS his disease tpcrlaps latally), and de.
ludcS himself with Il silly confidence. What
shall he said, then, Of those ccnsOrS OF moral
ity who advertise these injurious receptions.
They wrong their religion, they impose upon
their patrons, and they injurc themselves anu
the hi.h cause they assume to advocate.
There Is something almost repulsivc In the
incongruitics which the union OF religion and
! patent medicines brings out. Can the nina
pass easily from Helps to Prayer" to"Nlnc-
gar BitterS?" Can GUlden Thoughts retain
their ethical value by the side OF canccr-cures
and the only genuine kidney-cure?' We had
become much Interested In Il tender ana Pa
thciic poem of which the first verse was as fol.
lows:
ain PASTURES green not always He
Who knowcth best in kindness leadeth me,
Iut-'
and at thism moment our eyes fell on the ada
cent column: ''),W0, 900 bottles Uf this wonder
full remedy sold in one ycar!' or words tot that
effect. 1t is revolving To have q tribute to the
compassion Of our Lord thus c-iccli by jowl
with Congo BulSams and South African BLOOD
Purifiers and Catarrh cures.
There pcrvadcs through many Of The reii.
gious Journals the wOodcut OF an ancient lady
who sits, Sltendiic mc,dnr, over an annolnrir;
mcnt of n wonderful compound th"-eaSes OF
the fallen womba and cures all tE"i Is Il bcauti-
III reusioJ vtl r,.-'etic molto which may APP
d. W HUI III ttltI "stS
How very weak the gospel truths appear
when set of BY tie advertisement OF 4 cam
ccr-curc.
Perhaps we have said enough for the pres
ent. We shall have more to say ~by-and.by.
Every week increases the richness of oar
thcrapcutical collection from religious litcra-
turc. II will soon form n little pharlnacolTia
Of ~itscli-a ~pllarInacopriu not hampered by
the restraints Of scientific method, but copiou>
in language, magnificent in promises. and as
full Of ingenious fnlseioodSa MS If the Father OF
Lies himself were pharmacist, author, and
rhctoriciHn.
In conclusion we appeal to the clergy to use
their influence in checking thisa bonlinable
practice Of advertising n0slru1ns in religious
journals, Il practice which. we repeat, they
cannot but characterize as inconsistent with
high morality, injurious to religion, and per-
nicious in every way. We are glad to see that
some religious Journals. notably the Erangct-
ia and the Ippedt, indulge in tho practice but
mildly, and appear to have n dim conscious.
ness that il Is not noble or Christian to bolster
up religion with patent medicine lies. As for
the clarcy and Christian people in general, we
feel sure that it only needs 4 full and frank
statement of the facts in order to excite their
condemnation of the practice.