St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1883-04-21
Communicated
Editor ST. LANDRY DEMOCRAT: z

While in your town had an oppor-
tunity to see the Wizard Oil Co.'s gor-
geous chariot and listen to the nlghtin-
gale MARBLES of its occupants. During
an interval in the music the magical eff
fects of Wizard Oil were glowingly
described from the rear end of the
wagon, and to such a pitch was the
philanthropic feelings of the orator
carried that he urged those who were
ill to try the oils magical qualities, and
it one bottle failed to try another, and
even another if necessary, notwith-
standing their circular states that
nearly all the diseases mentioned there
in can be cured by the oil in from ten
to thirty minutes-and it accomplished
all these great benefits to mankind at
the ruinously small price of one dollar
per bottle with a box of their patent
duplex action, hand sewed pills thrown
into the bargain. Purchasers, however,
were not plenty and the tones of the
orator waxed insolent. Some of the
young ladies were talking and laughing
amongst themselves and this annoyed
the orator Of zone dollar bottle'' so
much that he, in substance, told them
that they had no bringing up" and
that it would please him if they would
keep still, ending all with an ironical
laugh which was intended to be over
wbelmingly expressive of his opinion
of the Opelousas ladies. The small
boys were source of great annoyance
and We're taken in with as much free
dom as ownership could confer, and all
this in a public street where one per-
son had the same rights as another to
talk, laugh or make sales. The medi-
cine huckster's invitation to the people
was the most insulting of all. Every
body was to come and breakfast with
him and bring their sister or some
body's sister and enjoy the carload of
provisions which he had ordered for the
occasion. There would be first, second,
third and fourth table or tables until
every body breakfasted, and then they
would discourse sweet music for the
benefit of his guests. The children
were to be taken to the affair so that
they might have a good time, and after
partaking of his generous hospitality
every body could walk up and-pay
seventy-tve cents to the proprietor.
Then he changed his insolent tone to
the hooking laugh that came from the
small sales.
A promise Of a concert for the benefit
of the fire department., a few more dis
courses on oil, and the four white mules
were driven to the stable.
All patent or proprietary medicines
are manufactured and put upon the
market with the sole intention of
making money. The ailments of hu-
mainly are simply a means to attain
this end. Generally a high sounding
or incomprehensible name is given to
the medicine. and also in some cases, a
long and wonderful history of the dis
covery of its virtues by some afflicted
pilgrim who was living amongst the
Qnakers or Indians, and who was cured
in one or two doses, Of an ailment of
twenty or thirty years standing, after
the unavailing effort of the best medi-
cal skill that money could obtain had
been employed. A large number. of
are procured, many of
them being mythical /; but money will
accomplish wonders, and tits an easy
matter to get genuine names to any
statement. The medicine is always,
when ready for the trade, putup in very
neat and attractive packages, the bottle
and label frequently costing more than
the medicine it contains. The success
of the enterprise depends on unlimited
and unceasing advertising, for this is
what sells the medicine. 1t usually has
no history and no standing outside of
statements of the adver-
tisements or agents. With a preten-
tious show of candor, they say in loud
tones that their medicine will not cure
everything but it will be observed
that they have two or three kinds of
and what diseases one kind |
Of medicine will not cure, will be found |
IN the list of diseases easily cured by
another kind and there are a very few
in any.
Regular physicians look upon anaek- |