St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-12-28
Fgoderntsa.cAsrX.

To the Editor of the Globe.
1t is astonishing how universally smatter-
ing knowledge of medicine is disseminated
among the American people, and how readily
they take the advice of some old men, or
women, unlearned in the profession in pref
erence to consulting with regular physician.
who By long study and laborious practice has
qualified himself to judge of diseases and the
remedies TO be used. In any community of
100, should any one contract a severe cold,
there are ninety-nine who have a sovereign
remedy for mis- trouble. and the same may be
said of all the diseases known to modern
science. An acquaintance OF mine had a
severe attack of dyspepsia, and she tried
every remedy proposed by her numerous
friends and acquaintances and finally recov-
cred, but she is unable to tell just
what cured her. / rather suspect that
she recovered. not in consequence of
the various remedies, or any one of them, but
in spite of them all. 1t is this habit of the
people, preferring humbug to truth, that en-
courages the patent medicine man to flood
the country with his worthless nostrums.
Some years since 4 chair reStorer'' was
literally advertised. 1t would not only re-
store the original color, but cause Il luXuriant
growth of hair on the baldeSt pate in Christ
endom. The inventor knew that it was d
worthless humbug, but he was determined on
making money out of his great discovery by
taking advantage of the gullibility of the
American bald heads. He estimated that by
judicious advertising he could sell one million
of bottles in one year at 81 each. He adver-
tised his humbug at cost of $3.50, 900. Bot
ties and agents fees cost him SlS0,000. Box
ing, shipping. etc., cost him $4,000.
He accomplished just what he expected
and at the end of the first year found
that he had made just $5O0,00O
Knowing that the humbug would
be discovered after the use of the first bottle
odd hat = hn
wisely closed up his business, and to-day
there is not bottle of this great discovery"
for sale anywhere in the United States.
But this patent hunbug was harmless, and
if that could be said of all patent medicines,
then no great harm could be done. Such.
however, is not the case, as many of them
contain dangerous and poisonous drugs.
Take up almost any daily paper, and fiaring
announcements catch the eye, such as POS
tive cure for consumption;" "a safe cure
for all diseases" etc., etc. And these COM
fOrting assurances are established beyond q
doubt by the sworn statement of ang number
of persons who ''have been rescued from the
Jaws of DEATH The poor, suffering invalid
garsps at them as his only hope, instead OF
consulting with some regular physician, and
death follows. Patent medicines are filling
more graves than any other known
agency, bedause while they are being used
the disease is becoming deep-seated and be-
yond control of the most skillful physician.
When death knocks at the door the physician
is sent for but, alas, too late. No regular
physician ever gets up a patent medicine. If
he discovers some new remedy he makes it
known through medical journals so that the
entire profession can have the benefit of it.
If | want a suit Of clothes I go to first
class tailor-not to a blacksmith. If l want
an important case conduc o in the court,
20 to a first-class lawyer-not to butcher;
and if want to be healed of disease, | go to
an educated physician, and not to quack or
to his worthless patent remedies. J.