The Irish standard., 1905-10-28
THE PATENT MEDICINE FRAUD,


Der Of Golfers Weekly entitled The
Great American Fraud, which is de-
serving of the careful reading of all
those inclined to the use of patcn;
medicines. 1t is a we'll known fact
that some of the greatest fortunes in
the United States have been built up
on the sale of some nostrum or cure
all. The basis of all these well selling
medicines is alchohol. One who has
made minute study of patent med
icine that is sold in a legal way by
licensed liquor dealers. There are
numberless people who use Peruna
and who would refuse to take, as
stimuant, pure whiskey. The owner
of Peruna has built up a great fortune
from the sale of his medicine, COM
posed of about one-third alchohol and
two-thirds water with a slight mix
ture of brown sugar to give it color
and cubebs or some other drug to give
1t flavor. The great danger from these
patent medicines lies in the fact that
people become unconscioulsy the slaves
of the whiskey habit from their use.
Thousands and thousands of people
who would refuse to use whiskey
knowingly, are lead into the whiskey
habit by the use of patent medicines.
The place which Peruna now occupies
has been heretofore occupied by equal
ly intoxicating connections. Paine's
Celery Compound, Lydia Pinkham's
Compound, Warmers Safe Cure, and
many others. All that seems neces-
sary in order to start a new and sue
cessful remedy, from the money get
ting standpoint, Is to have sufficient
amount of money to extensively adj
vertise and to add sufficient percent
age Of alchohol in order to give the
stimulating effect which makes the I'M
conscious dupe of the patent medicine
habit believe that he is being benefit
ed.
The article referred to in Golfers
shows that the government Of the
United States has forbidden the sale
of Peruna to Indians. but 1t seems
that the government allows it to be
sold to white citizens who would re-
fuse to buy or use whiskey If they
knew what they were doing. Peruna
and Other like medicines are especially
popular in most non-license towns and
n prohibition states where saloons are
forbidden. 1t is no longer secret
that one may drink Peruna freely
without any other effect, except
to become gloriously drunk, and
there are now institutions in some
parts Of the country which advertise
to cure the "Peruna habit" In Maine,
whiskey is sold as Jamaica Ginger but
there it Is generally understood that
the name Is simply a cover to avoid
the prohibitory laws. The successful
patent medicine, however, masquarades
as a cure for great number of dis
eases or else for some specific disease
to which all other diseases are trace
able. For instance Peruna Is adyer-
tised to cure catarrh only, but read
ing of the advertising matter will lead
the reader to the easy conclusion that
all human ailments are some form of
catarrh so that Peruna becomes real
necessity for any one who is ailing
or imagines that he Is so. aga
| Most of the states in the Union have
laws on the statute books for the reg
ulation of the sale of food products
the purpose of which are to secure
wholesome food. Every state has a
law regulating the sale of intoxicating
liquor. 1t seems, however, that there
is no law to prevent the preparation
of the patent medicine fraud upon the
public. These so-called medicines all
allowed to be sold without even the
regulations and penalties attached tc