Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-01-19
PATENT MEDICINES.
The People Who Consume the
Much-Advertised Articles
Patients Who Have More Faith in Drug
gists Than Doctors-The Latest Things
in CosmeticsAFavorite Perfumes
and Lotions.
Milwaukee Sentinel

AdLully physician ne Is dSheo W PicStiioe
for ailments and maladies from sick
headache to chronic rheumatics, and very
often the treatment or medicine he pre-
scribes is attended with as good results as
that of the average physician. The result
has been the training up of class of peo-
pie who repose more faith in the corner
pharmacist who sells them his pills and
patent medicines than they would in any
physician who had graduated with
high honors. And the distinction is one
with a difference. The druggists advice
costs nothing, while the doctor charges his
fee. But if this has tendency to drive
many men and women with ample means
who refuse to call in physician except in
extreme cases. because they fear he viii
keep them sick to fill his Golfers. However
groundless their suspicious may be it is a
fact that many such people exist.
Many persons imagine that they are
afflicted with some malignant disease, which
has existence in their imagination only"
said an experienced pharmacist recently.
''After having tried a number Of physicians
without getting the desired relief, they
come to US, describe their ailments imme-
diately, and ask us for an unknown rem
edy. Now, the druggist knows Of nothing
unknown. He gets all his information in
the prescriptions which he compounds. II
he gets the same recipe quite often he nat
urally thinks it must be pretty good. Then
be asks what sickness it is supposed to cure
knowing which, he gives it to the first per-
son similarly afflicted, who is coniding
enough to ask for a remedy. If the patiens
be cured, be becomes holder and puts it up
for others. Should it cure any considerable
number, the man will either get patent
trademark on the mixture and go into its
manufacture or he will be prevented from
doing so through lack of funds"
''Does it require much capital to make a
patent medicine pay9"
~ wouldn't undertake to put mixture
on the market withouta cash capital of ten
thousand dollars. The cost of putting up
several thousand bottles is comparatively
little, but the expense Of advertising enor-
NOUS have been in the drug business in
Missouri, Indiana and Wisconsin and have
found that each State has its own peculiar
class of patent medicines. l may except
four or five staple articles which can be
found all over the country"
"What class of patients buy patent med
icinesm
''The cough cures and the blood purifiers
have the greatest sales. Lung and throat
diseases are more or less plentiful in all
communities, and if consumptive can
stop his cough his life will be prolonged for
a couple of months. He writes letter toJthe
81, l,
and the letter is published When the poor
fellow dies at the end of six months, or per-
haps year, he can not write letter to
that effect and the patentee does not pub
blish the news. Blood purifiers are safer
than cough medicines in this respect, as the
average impure blood will let men live to a
good old age"
"How is the trade in quininea"
at is badly demoralized. The drug has
come down, and, what is worse, the public
knows about the price. Where we former
ly charged two cents grain. we hesitate
to charge one cent now The sale of quinine
is brisk, however, and it is now not only
taken for fevers but for headaches also.
The reason is that all cases of headache are
accompanied by more or less fever. What
reduced the price of quinines Competition.
Germany has gone into its manufacture to
such an extent as to possibly warrant
further reductions. Not so with morphine,
which like Quinine is a staple drug. The
article is largely used by women, who can
not get opium. There is very little of the
latter sold, and hasheesh we do not
handle"
"Any thing new about cocaine9'
well, they have just gotten out kind
of wine in which it is the principal ingre-
dent. The wine has an effect similar to
laughing gas, by creating an abnormal
laxity of the nervous system In fact,
number of local dentists are now using a
preparation of the an@5thetic on the gums
of their customers. Cocaine is derived
from the leaf of the coca palm, and not
from the fruit, as some suppose. 1t is but
rarely that any thing new is discovered.
Moreover, the present variety is already so
large that we do not care for any more
drugs"
What is the demand for perfumes and
cosmeticsa'
1.-The triple extracts of the colognes are
preferred, notwithstanding that some cost
as much as fifty cents an ounce. A few
drops will suffice, however, to impart an
odor to handkerchief that several wash
ings will not take out There are some
brands which the jobbers do not handle,
but which have to be bought directly from
the makers. Very little of the preparation
known as balm, etc, is sold. 1t is composed
of bay rum, flake-white and few other in
gradients, and it is said to beautify the
skin. 1t costs few cents to put it up, and
the bottles retail for seventy five cents and
one dollar"