The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-08-12
MUST VIZ DEFEND A CHEAT ?
MUST EDITORS FOR MONEY PROMOTE
THE SALE OF HIGH PRICED MEDICINES.
The Druggists of Saint Paul are
Soundly Abused for Looking 10
the Best Interests of Their CustO.

We are in receipt OF a marked copy oil the
Saint Paul Pioneer Press in which is marked
an editorial protesting against tne haolt
which obtains In that Guy o. urugsaStis iua
which are extensively advertised In that ana
other newspapers. The Pioneer Press makes
the point that such course by drugglsts IS
not ialr 10 the maker of the high priced med.
icines, and urging that IL is the duty OF all the
press To defend their customers from prac'
tice which may deprive them OF liberal Gus
toners.
According to our way of thinking the ad-
vertising OF patent medicines is mere Incl
dent In the life Of any newspaper-the lact
being that the general public give ten tlfnes
as much patronage 10 the newspapers as 40
the patent medicine advertisers.
Then will q newspaper do violence 10 tne
Interest of the general public VINO connde IN
It's integrity? -,
the newspaper Is plain. .
Every Intelligent newspaper reader knows
that the wiSest and beStof the medlcal proies-
sion declare that no specific has YET oeen is d1s'
Bright's disease and cancer.
But despite the well known fact that medl'
cines claiming 10 cure these diseases are
frauds, pure and simple, they are advertised
in many OF the best newspapers of the coun-
try, and delusive hopes are held out 10 those
who are doomed. Result. thousands OF poor
people deprive themselves Of nourishing ana
healthy food to use their money In buying
worthless medicines, which can do no poSsl'
BILE good, but which are almost sure TO inter-
fere with the digestive powers. This lnterler-
ence reducing the vital forces, ana ol COURSE
hastens death.
We have seen 1t stated in the papers that
the use OF cod liver oil in cases OF consnmp.
tion has been practically abandoned In PARIS
that nauseating dose being prescribed III not
more than one case in sixteen.
At best cod liver Oil Is Il mere food. NO me-
dicinal qualities are claimed for IT,. one
spoonful OF fresh butter, or drink or lresn
IL to, ~, t,,pt In a
liver oil, and the same products are lnuch
more palatable to most OF us. Money spent
for cod liver oil in Its various preparations Is
as good as thrown away. Therefore the Press
butter and milk as substitutes ior Goa liver
oil. as being both more beneficial and less ex
pensive.
AS to the cheap limitations of the other med
icines OF which the Saint Paul Pioneer Press
speaks:-
We have no evidence that these medicines
which are so extensively advertised, ana IN
whose behalf that paper speaks, are any pet
ter than the substitutes which are not adver-
tised. The formula of both classes are secret.
and we would sooner trust the Judgment OF
an intelligent druggist than to accept the
claims OF q patent medlclne whose lnSreul'
ents are unknown.
We have no data as TO actual facts, out we
presume that it is true that nine.tenths OF the
patent medicines are sent out by men with
little knowledge of medicine.
The fact that medicine Is patented is evil
dence that somebody has disregarded that
sentiment of the profession which looks with
disfayor on any secret practice OF m edlclne.
The actual value of q dollars worth OF pat
ent medicine, including The cost of the labels,
and the bottles, ranges perhaps from seven 10
twelve cents. The wholesale price 1l @ o6siies 6ins
IL two-thrds the retail price-sl bottles oelnS
sold for 662a at wholesale.
With this state Of facts, why should any
body desire to offer inferior limitations?
Z Why should any newspaper come 10 the res
% 81 Nf rhf,
harm to the human race than any other class
OF men on earth? Certainly for no better rea-
son than that these cheats have divided their
gains with US. The Saint Paul Pioneer Press
says of the cheaper substitutes:
1T is an outrage upon the manufacturers
whose liberal advertising has crealed the de-
Inand for the article which the druggist seeks
10 meet by selling the worthless imitation In
stead. When they find that instead OF real
izing the benefits of their own advertising IT
Is thus dishonesty perverted TO the adVan-
tage of men who have practically bribed the
druggists TO swindle the public and rob the
honest manufacturers OF the legitimate fruits
OF their investments in printers ink they will
cease To advertise, or will greatly curtail the
amount "f their advertising: Some or them
have already done SO. and Others are likely to
follow their example unless q stop shall be
put TO this neIarious business. The publish
ers have thus direct and Important interest
In aiding by every means in their their power power TO ,
tlon, all the newspap pers throughout the coun-
try shall unite in exposing these fraudulent
practices and holding them and their perpe-
traitors up to the indignation Of all honest
people,
Replying to this the Press and Banner
thinks II an Intelligent druggist can fur
nish for 25 cents a substitute Tor 81 patent
medicine, that 1t is his duty 10 do so, and thus
save his customer from being cheated.
The Press and Banner has no interest in ad-
vancing the business of any OF the owners OF
the medicines named by the Pioneer Press.
None Of them can advertise their wares In
these columns. Even admitting that some of
have no business to swallow them rnadvised-
Calomel Is a good medicine. We all admit
that.
But as matter of fact there is no medicine
that kills more men than calomel. Every fool
layman and every ignorant doctor and any
number OF presumptious preachers, must take
IL or prescribe IL. In nearly every case where
the bowels are effected the calomel Is a fatal
dose. At the funeral a superstitious preacher
will talk about the mysterious dispensation
OF divine Providence, charging up the unnec
essary and prem ature death TO him who gave
US life. The fact Is, the death in many cases
was the practical, natural or direct result of
an ill-advised dose Of medicine.
The great public need protection against the
evils resulting from the licensed sale of ii.
quor, but we have u need which is far more
urgent. We need protection from the Snares
of Quack medicines and quack medicine ad-
verLisemeuts. There Is scarcely man with
sense enough to keep out Of the lunatic aSy
lum who Will not voluntarily prescribe medi-
cine for his sick ncighbor. Such persons
ought to be arrested and put in prison, and
kept there until bond Is given for better be-
al or oil n rnS n m