The National tribune., 1891-08-13
HEALTH HINTS
For Old and Young.
ny FELIX L. OSWALD. ". n
CXvII.
moorED overwhelmingly.

OF the last Il months some goo persons have
been indicted OF charge Of manslauEhte- for
! causing the death Of persons who might have
been saved by prompt medical assistance but
were permitted TO perish by their over-cond-
dcnce in the pTetcnsions Of so-called Christian
science The opponents Of that science, now
ever, have good deal 10 say in behalf of the
other side.
Suppose" they reply "every physician
! who loses patient were TO be indicted for mall
practice, would we not soon have 10 enlarge orr
janis for the special accommodation Of the
medical faculty. DO not Allopathis's, Home
opaihists, and Hydropathists indulge in mutual
/ lmpediment Of each others methods? The adj
| vocatcs Of strong drugs daily charged with
/ inlurng their patients with oyerdoses; the dis
/ ciples of Ilahneman are accused Of SHINING IN
/ the other extreme. They an base their defense
on the proof that their failures arc Offset by
numerous cases of undOubted Success is
! Christian Science not entitled 20 the same peag
lie does not claim infallibility, or rather il does
/ not arrogate the power of reversing the decis-
| ions Of Heaven and insuring the Immortality
/ Of the human race. The destined hour Of
mortal man cannot be postponed by single
second though all the medical saEcs Of the
universe were to meet in general conference.
/ But where recovery is possible the proportion
/ OF cures by prayer is quite as large as by the
use Of any kind Of drug"
In the latter assertion the claims Of the
Prayer-Cure men arc borne out by the test-
mony Of thousands Of patients. The proper
tion OF failures is rather large in cases where
prayer has been applied TO the treatment Of
| broken bones, shot wounds, and similar iDju-
ries requiring prompt surgical operation. A
! Christian Scientist in the role Of O rcgimental
surgeon could hardly hope to achieve popu-
larty.
But Christian Science versus internal medi-
cation can easily hold its own By the test Of
/ practical success. its patients rely exclusively
on the efficacy OF prayer, laying on Of hands,
/ iamIly devotion, etc, and their confidence is
/ justified by the result. In other words, they
recover without any medicine at all; aud,
moreover, their Survival is effected by IN rthod
/ much cheaper, and generally more expeditions,
than that OF the drug practitioners.
" Let Us grant, loT the sake Of argument. that
/ we arc laOOring under dclusiOn," they might
say; " Is that delusiOn not positive blessing (
il can lead to such resuts2 The abatement Of
the disease may be due to the strong faith-or
| call 10 the mental bias-of the patient rather
! than 20 the direct effect of prayer; but can
/ there be any harm in prOfting by that favor
able condition Of the mind2 Is there a law 10
force sick man into q drugstore ii he prefers
/ 70 recover by his confidence in prGyery Why
| should we not tolerate a harmless dClusiOn that
may result in the saving Of human lifo?"
The same plea might be offered in behalf Of
| numerous patent-mcdicine men If their specifics
were quite as safe rs that by which Dr.. Isaac
| Jennings used 10 hum0r the caprice Of conscry-
| alive patients. Whenever the author OF Medi-
cal Reform was consulted by person who in
| sisted on getting a prescription" as well as AN
assortment Of good advice, the Doctor used to
/ forward a little box labeled with an ARRAY Of
mystic medical authorizations, and containing
] lew dozen brCad-pilis cOlOTcd with burnt
/ sugar and perhaps favored with the scent Of
some aromatic herb. IL tho patients got well
| h could do no harm that in nine out OF 10 eases
they insisted on attributing their Improvement
70 the magic virtues Of those pills.
Some Of the most famous quack medicines
/ were every whit as harmless Az the beginning
! Of this century no family could afsrd TO be
without a supply Of g Revalenta Aabica,"
/ British miracle powder, advertised all over
/ Europe aud eastern North America rs "A "nu-
! tritiye preparation combined with TONES Of un.
riyalled efficiency" etc, etc. but which was
] finally proved to consist Of a siited -four pre-
/ pared from yctches. vegetable relatives OF the
I common c0w-pca. A spoonful Of split peas III
! properly cooked, would have been quite as nu-
tritious aud, if properly advertised quite as
curative.
The humorist Of Boston journal informs
ms that tho most popular traveller on a certain
| New England railroad was a drummer. who for
years made il a rule TO pay his fare 10 the con-
dnctor aud to dispense with the miiilc-man
| services o! a ticket agent. For similar reasons
the most popular customers OF certain drug
/ stores arc people who dispense with tie seTv-
ices Of a physician and apply directly 10 the
/ druggist " Let mo recommend box Df Quaclz-
enbush dyspepsia pills; they are put up BIZ a
Chicago firm, who has sold $1,000 gross this
] year, and who enjoy an international rcputa-
non,' aud who, / forgot to add, allow me a
| commission OF % per cent.
The fact is that such firms can afford 10 DO
| liberal The actual cost price Of certain patent
drugs Is about one-tenth Of the retail price. and
many popular tonics could be prohtably sold az
/ ID cents bottle II il was not for the costs Of
advertising and almanac printing The manu-.
featuring price Of ReyalCnta" can hardly
have exceeded 20 cents pound thedruggists
price was for years two shillings about % cents
an ounce.
The expensiveness Of quack medicines is
however, unfortunately not always limited 10
the size Of the druggists bill An ugly per-
/ centage Of proprietary remedies" not Of the
Reyalenta sort, ]. C., faith cures, pure aud sim
| pie, consist Of dcleterious aud positively dan.
gcroas drugs: mercury the fayorito tonic"
OF dyspepsia quacks), iusel alcohol and strong
/ narcotics
few years ago DIR. z II. Kellogg. Of the
| Battle Creek Sauitarium, collected a large num-
Der Of formulas based on a careful chemical
analysis OF patent medicines, with many such
results as the following:
Cooks Pills '-Calomel, powdered SOAP, ex-
tract Of rhubarb.
"Anti-chill Pills "-Arsenious acid, fcrr0ev-
anide Of iron, oil Of black pepper.
"Auti-bilious Pills "-Calomel with a small
admixture Of powdered gambogc.
"Dalby's CarmiuatiYc '-AlcEohol. asafetida
tincture Of opium.
Soothing Sirup"-sugar strip. alcoholic
tincture Of iennel, with or without an admix.
ture Of snlphate Of morphine in various guam
I titles
The publication Of voluntary" tez,imo.
mails leaves always room for a doubt IN tho
competence Of the eloquent witnesses. but even
suborned testimony 10 the miraculous virtues
Of patent n0strum would be hardly as Lase a
swindic as the fraud baitcd with a most limo.
cent looking advertisement Of the following
! type: missionary Tor "retired phygi.
clan as the advertiser is apt 10 style himself
by way Of variety during a 10 wears resi-.
dcuce among the natives Of eastern Burmah
happened 10 become acquainted with the prop.
critics Of a powerful specific for the cure az
consumption Tor dyspepsia, impotence, etc.
Prompted by strong sense Of duty toward
his suffering iclow.men, he now oGers 10 com
municatc the formula Of that invaluable pre.
scrptlon free 10 all applicants Address So.
and-so, and receive reply by return mail"
The rlak OF a pOstage-stamp can involve no
serious loss, so the fellOw-sufcrer Of the NH
lanthropic traveller applies as directed, and in
due time receives printed circular including
the precious formula: Extract hydrasiis. oil of
organum, extract Of Javancse spearmint Siam