The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-08-19

mediclue man nuIhctuTeS ulVlue IHCIr HiOHey
with them hardly deserves serious conSidera
tion. In the papers OF which our contempo'
rary received copies, patent medicine an
nouncements occupy but a very small pro-
portion of their advertising space. And oul
friend knows that these manufacturers in
stead Of being very liberal advertisers always
want the very lowest rates.
"Even admitting what he charges, when
we do not. that patent medicines are an evil
1t is an evil not TO be got rid of because lew
county papers refuse 10 advertise 1t, and in
stead of denouncing all alike, the better
course is to warn people against limitations
whose worthlessness is shown by their being
put up to closely resemble standard prepara'
lions Instead of being, put upon the market
on their own merits"
After all, there seems to be very little diff
ference between our friend and ourself.
All patent medicines are not good, neither
are all substitutes frauds.
Our heighbor's fears that we have beer
"swindled by an INSCRIPTIONS imitation" is
groundless, as we swallow neither the ''gen-
nine patent medicine" nor the "lmita
tion.'
Our neighbor misunderstands US when he
says that we charge that all these preparations
as rank swindles.
But we do assert that up TO this time, and
after careful enquiry, we have heard Of no
preparation which any reputable doctor
would admit was specific for consumption
asthma, bright's disease, epilepsy or cancer,
The medical profession therefore, lead us to
believe that every person claiming to cure
either Of these diseases is q quack, a fraud
and a swindler, pure and simple.
If any Doctor in Columbia could cure con.
sumption, or If he could even relieve the pa
tient and stop the further incroachments OF
the disease, the ends OF the earth would send
their afflicted persons In such numbers as
would require new railroad facilities, and
thousands OF new hotels would be insufficient
to accommodate the afflicted multitude that
would come within the gates OF the capital
city.
The doctor who could cure consumption
would need greater vaults in which to store
his treasure, than are now to be found in
Washington. The wealth OF the earth would
be thrown at his feet.
But no such man has ever lived. For this
reason quacks and frauds must resort to the
dissemination of their misleading advertise
ments, whereby they may Impose their
nostrums on the afflicted citizen and thereby
not only cheat him, but hurry him to the
grave.
We speak of consumption because about
one fourth OF the human family die of that
disease, and while autopsies may show that
one man in q thousand may have scars on his
lungs that have healed, which might lead US
to believe that in some rare cases consump-
tion has been cured, yet there Is no positive
knowledge that the SCARED lung was afflicted
with consumption,
Let our brother read the reports Of the city
hospitals, If he will, and he will find that q
very few cases of consumption are 'im-
proved" under the most skllful treatment t
known to the medical profession, while the
tracks of the great multitude lead
straight to the grave. and that in their cases
there was neither science nor medicine
which could stay the steady and onward
progress Of the disease.
We have no more doubt that the man who
claims TO cure consumption is an ARA mt
swindler than we have that the sun shines,
and believing as we do, our duty Is plain.
Believing, and, as we think, knowing, that
all such pretenders hold out false hopes to
the afflicted, we refuse TO allow either udver-
tisement or editorial endorsement in our
paper Of O medicine which every decent
doctor in the country knows is u cheat, anu
which every intelligent reader knows is Il
fraud.
Our neighoor says:
MANY Of them [patent medicinesl
have value recognized by the medical pro-
ies sion, and some of them are frequently
prescribed by reputable physicians"
We take 1t that our brother has confused
"patent medicines" with proprietary med
icines," or else he would make neither state
ment as above.
We believe that no reputable doctor has
ever prescribed patent medicine for any
patient. Intelligent DOCTORS men who know
anything of the science which they claim to
practice, do not prescribe compounds, the
component parts of which they are ignor-
ant.
proprietary medicines are put up and
sold, and may be prescribed by doctors, for
the simple reason that the component parts
are known.
These medicines may be difficult of
compounding, and the country druggist may
not have the facilities for compounding
them in the best manner, although he may
have every ingredient on his shelves.
AS for the slight manner in which our
brother speaks of "a few country papers ~
Although the country papers have but few
readers, yet the same rules Of conscience and
honesty should govern them that governs, or
should govern, the great city papers.
The country papers should strive to do
right, however limited their circulation.
The Press and Banner has no idea. how
ever, that the patent medicine men will go
out Of business because we refuse TO publish
advertisements OF their nostrums. But we
can discharge our conscience by warning our
subscribers against such quacks as are out
rageous impositions upon the public.
With our brothers permission, we will re-
peat here, what we have often said before.
There is not on the earth to-day a human
being who Is absolutely exempt from the
possibility of dying of consumption.
The best safeguard against its deudly en-
croachment, Is to nourish the body by taking
wholesome and nutritious food in sufficient
quantity and with regularity.
The system should at all times be kept up
to the highest physical condition, ard those
with tendency toward consumption, should
regard their diet with religious care, and
the best blood making food should be eaten
every day.
For him who has been stricken with the
disease which is sure to end his days, we
would say: Let no medicine go into the
stomach. Every drop Of medicine that Is
taken dsturbs the dgestion-and the stom-
ach Is the very citadel of life itself The vile
In, han FDll llU 1ph hall 1n1