The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1903-09-24
CREDULOUS AMERICA.
Up 10 TRYING EVERYTHING.
Old Times Out.

There are two increasing public de
mands on the present time which
seem contradictory. On the one hand
we have tho demand for sanitary foods
sanitary garments, exercising appa
ratus, and other articles supposed te
preserve and increase bodily health BY
observing the laws Of physiology. Or
the other hand, we have an enormous
and constantly increasin9 sale of drug.
and patent medicines. Advertise.
ments Of these two sorts of goods occu
py perhaps a larger space in mcst
weekly and monthly periodicals and on
the bill boards than any other class OF
commodities. The high salaried men
who write these advertisements, deyot-
ing their talents with impartial energy
to a new breakfast food or a consump-
tive cure, evidently know the weak
nesses OF the American people; for
they play skillfully upon the two dia
metricaliy opposite tendencies which
co-exist in every community, often in
the same individual-the health cul-
ture fad and the restless, cred ulous
search for magic cure-all. If they
can persuade the public that some new
variety of food with a punning name
has the mysterious power OF regenerat-
ing the ph, sical system in three weeks,
the thing is done.
After the anxious period of proba-
tion, however, the consumers, failing
to feel within themselves the glow of
youth and the roseate mentality fore
told In the testimonials, are ready to
detect signs of approaching decline.
Now comes the patent medicine man,
and being duly sworn. ,..deposes and says
that all the Ills OF mankind are due to
germs, and his remedy will kill the
germs or the whole blame belongs to
the 'inslde nerves" and the medicine
will stimulate those nerves and keep
them at work or you need more mif,-
erals in your brain, and he will put
Them there for one dollar a bottle. One
need not believe the unsupported word
Of the philanthropist who is willing to
cure the world. Congressmen en-
dorse him judges vouch for tbs poten-
~ OF his tonic; preachers assure the
laity that their sound theol-
ogy and yigorous.puIpit activity are due
to the elixir of lite that flows from the
tanks at fifty cents flow.
Clearly the hygiene fads have much
in common. BY one method or the
other the typical American citizen
hopes to get we'll quick, just as he
hopes to "get rich quick" by buying
stock that is guaranteed to yield fifty
per cent. dividend. To the credit OF
his shrewdness be 1t said that he does
not really expect to gain all the tene-
its set forth in the advertisements.
What he expects is that new food or
lrink or stimulant will surprise his
abused and neurotic body into a squirt
hat will last long enough to be worth
he purchase price. He does not ex-
oect the fifty per cent. but be reasons
hat probably he will got fifteen, or at
he very least ten. Does not the pros
oectus name ten as the absolute mini
mum, which is 80 small as to be almost
Clearly the eminent cler-
yymen who are among the directors
ind whose photographs adorn the COM
,any's prospectus are sure of the ten
9er cent. Just SO with the patent med
cine, while it probably will not cure
he whole five ailments that afflict the
purchaser, may alleviate
NO or three of them. There may be
. basis Of fact beneath the picturesque
of the advertiser.
The old-iashioned method of keeping
mes health by plain living and whole
ome work is almost out of date. The
method Of relieving pain
" simple remedies administered by
physicians is declining. The
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