Morning journal and courier., 1882-06-17
Price Four Cents.

i D0 pHSl0u upOu IL, duu IL IS SOIG Wlt1 great regularity. The knowing patient who gets prescription for standard preparation from 8 physician, and then bids adieu to the doc tor, who is anxious to know the effect of the article upon bIm, does not stop to think that every disease has many phases, and that what would be 8 proper dose for one person would be decidedly improper dose for another. What may relieve one person might have no effect whatever upon another person. The use of salcylic acid, now so common in the preparation of remedies for rheumatism, be- comes absolutely dangerous in many cases Good physicians say that the acid must pro- duce its effect within twenty four hours If there is no good effect up to that time, then the further use of the acid becomes danger ous. It weakens the heart, and something to counteract it must be used at once The majority of persons who buy patent medi- cines intend to cure rheumatism and which contain salicylic acid, know nothing about the danger they confront, and that heart dis eases become prevalent is not surprising. Some physicians imagine, said the apotheca- ry, that druggists like to sell patent medi- cines. He protested that such is not the case. He and others in the business, he said, despised patent medicines, and never recom- mend them. Among the tricks resorted to by inventors of these medicines the apothe- cary mentioned one. An enormously fat vo- man visited drug store some years ago and asked the proprietor whether he had any ''Anti-Fat'' for sale. He replied in the mega tive, saying that he had never heard of such thing. The woman strode from the store and the apothecary followed her. Whenever she reached drug store she entered 1t and asked for "Anti-Fat," and everywhere she was told that no such article was there for sale. It was discovered that this woman had been employed by the inventor of an "anti- tat" preparation to make demand for it. She had formerly been employed as a living curiosity in 8 BowerY museum. The apothe- cary deplored the use of bitters, saying that the aloes and alcohol contained in them do much more harm than good, and produce ailments that neither time nor money can cure. The bitters contain vegetable matter which requires the use of considerable alco- hol, and rabid temperance people are trans formed into druDkards by using such decoc- tions. The apothecary made the startling assertion that many respectable old ladies had been lured to drunkards' graves by be- coming addicted to the use Of these bitters
 Cod liver oil preparations were next spoken of by the apothecary, and by way of dispo- sing of the whole subject in clever way he told story which had been given to him by one of the most eminent physicians of this city. The story showed how three very bright and cultivated young ladies of the higher walks of life became drunksrds One of them was delicate and feeble. It seemed that the dread disease consumption, was about to claim her The family physi- clan believed that he could save her life, and hs wrote out prescription for her. This prescription called for oleum morrhun and spirits fermenti. The preparation was used with surprising results The sickIy girl de- veloped into beautiful figure. Her friends and relatives were gratifed beyond expres- sion Two young and happy girls who knew her marveled at the wonderful effects of the medicine prescribed for her, and when one day she was about to visit the apothecary shop they decided to accompany her. In the shop the girls were very merry. The spoth- ecary paid no special attention to them as he prepared the prescription, and possibly thanked his stars that he was not compelled to answer 8 thousand questions. The girls had a copy of the 'Dispensatory'' before them, and were endeavoring to discover what the prescription meant in plain English At length they discovered that 'soleuH nor rhuas" was cod liver oil and that spirits fer menti" was whiskey. They laughed, but said nothing to the unsuspecting druggist The great secret was with them They argued with themselves that ss tke wonderful prepe- ration WAS merely cod liver oil and whiskey, they might purchase those ingredients at pleasure and mix them themselves, and they followed their inclinations. The result was that the three girls became drunkards and their parents were heart broken Had the girls never known what ingredients were used in the preparation, and submitted themselves to the direction of the physician, they might have been ornaments in society today in- stead of filling drunkards' graves. In con- clusion, the apothecary said that rather than commend one of the patented articles he would condemn them all. Diseases are too often produced by their use, and death really does Turk in the regular army of patent med icine5.
 The patent medicine business has assumed such enormous proportions that the largest dealers say that sometimes they can scarcely realize that so much money is invested in it. Without the most extensive newspaper adver- Using they admit the business would fall away and be almost unheard of. They are satisfied that this would be the condition of affairs with them notwithstanding their ire movable opinion that many of the articles have genuine merit and when properly used accomplish good results That tbe business may prosper millions of dollars are expended every year in advertising. When the manu- facturer of an article, after ten years of wide spread advertising discontinues this plan of keeping it before the public the sales general ly fall of about 75 per cent, and then steady demand, which continues for many years, is reached. 4 reporter of the Tunes visited an establishment, which is the only one of its kind in the city, where patent medicines and other preparations of the apotheesry and druggist are exclusively sold. The seven long floors Of this building were filled with articles invented for the cure of every disease which flesh is heir to. Twenty years ago this proprietor started in a small way with three patented preparations, and at the present time he deals in over 5000 different articles. The gentleman who showed the reporter through the place, and who had been engaged in the business for many years, insisted that he had never heard of any person who died, wss injured, or dis figured through the proper use of any of the :, ,0OO articles. Sometimes, be said, moth CT would, of course, pour bottle of sooth- ing syrup down the throat of her squalling infant. and then when the infant died there would be great hub-bub. The reporters informant said that there is no duIl season in the patent medicine business as there is in the dry goods trade. When the season for cough syrups has passed the cholera medicines find a ready market Toothache IS common throughout the year, and thus remedies for that distressing complaint are always salahle- Hair restoratives are briskly called for in spring. summer, autumn and winter. and tonics likewise prevail at all seasons of the year The salesman estimated that there are 25, GOO druggists and fully 3Q. coo physicians in the United States, and said that the patent medicine dealers find much favor among the physicians as well as the druggists. While the reporter was rubbing against boxes filled with all kinds of preparations the salesman
 
 feet square. Those" he said, contain pills We sell one of the boxes for $432, and you will observe" he added, with 8 smile,
 'that that is rather an expensive box of pills" Then he figured up the cost of pile of boxes that seemed almost lost in the vast amount of other boxes in the room, and said: There we have $9,o72 worth of pills" and that will give you a faint idea of the amount of money invested in patent medicines in this building. The salesman said that the dealer will not venture any money in a new article unless he buys 1t from the manufacturer or pays the inventor for the everlasting right to manufacture it. He will not accept patented article, advertise # and make it profitable, so that the inventor can at some time take it from him and manu- facture it himself. The inventor must either manufacture and advertise the article him. self or sell the patent to a manufacturer and have done with it. Looking at half dozen preparations for corns. the salesman said that there are fully 1000 different corn cures sold by dealers.
 The reporter was permitted to see list of the various preparations on sale The number of balms for the lungs, rheumatism, consump- tion, 6c., numbered 46; balsams, 96; sto- mach bitters, 1O6; cordials AS; catarrh, asthma, skin, cough, rheumatic, heart, eho- lera dyspepsia aQue and other cures, l3G {: