News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1905-03-29

five are going to avoid the use of
alcohol we must Danish the extracts
in our kitchen. Fluid extracts, wheth-
er they are medicinal or culinary,
cannot be made or preserved with
out alcohol.
The use of alcohol In medicine is
approved by the pharmacopoeias of
all nations. 1t is in accord with the
practice of all medical authorities in
the world.
The abuse of alcohol is another
matter, but the cost alone ia enoue b
to prevent abuse. Alcohol costs about
so 60 per gallon. 1t is too expensive
for any medicine maker to use more
than he needs of it. And he cannot
hope that people are going to take
the medicine because of the alcohol,
when good whisky can be purchased
for one fifth as much.
A dose of medicine which contains
even 20 per cent. of alcohol does hot
seem to me very dangerous matter.
That means one fifth OF a teaspoon
iul of alcohol at time. Physicians
DO not hesitate to give brandy to a
child in teaspoonful doses, and
brandy is half alcohol.N When ole
compares medicine with wine or bf err,
be should also compare the dosage.
One takes more alcohol in a glass Of
vine than he takes in great maIy
doses of medicine.
Mr.. Box is also most unfair in his
reference to poisons used in proprie.
tary medicines. 1t is true that some
medicines contain poisons in small
percentages, but the use is not neal ly
as general as in physicians prescril-
tons. A great many drugs which are
recognized by every physician as
helpful in small doses are poisonous
when taken in excess.
An elderly druggist told me few
days ago that be had personally ex-
amined more than 100000 physi-
clans prescriptions, and, by actual
count, 70 per cent of them contained
an opiate. Yet analysis shows not a
trace of opiate in the largest sellers
among the proprietary remedies.
Stry chime is another dangerous
drug largely prescribed by ply sicians.
1t is used as tonic and stimulant.
Yet this is a drug rarely found in
proprietaries.
The maker of a proprietary medi-
cine must be more careful about the
use of any poison than the physi-
clan. The physician is in a position
to direct his doses and to watch the
results. He is able to take chances
which no maker of a general remedy
will take, for tear that the directions
on the bottle will not be adhered to.
There are thousands of physicians
whose interests are opposed to pro.
Iprietary remedies. They are ready
to denounce ready made remedy at
the slightest evidence of harm from
lit. Yet how seldom we hear of any
harm from proprietaries. | have my
self never heard OF a single authenti-
Gated case.
1t is the lack of poison rather than
it's presence, which forms the real OBJ
lection to proprietaries. tits by using
4 poison which the medicine maker
avoids that the physician often Sc
cures greater effect. The maker Of
a remedy has too much at stake to
use anything which will result in &C.
casional harm. And this caution
leads him often to omit ingredients
which he knows to be valuable.
Proprietary remedies are used not
alone by the poor who cannot afford
to call a physician. They are employ
ed by those to whom expense is of no
Importance. And In ordinary all
ments, when physician is called, he
prescribes ready made remedy.
Proprietary remedies are at some
time taken by all of US. They are
found in nearly every home.
And | know of no business where
fraud has less chance of success than
in medicines. A worthless remedy is
very quickly found out. A sick per-
son will not long continue a remedy
which does not help. The lack of
merit in food may remain long IN
discovered, but if a medicine lacks
virtue the fact is at once apparent.
When | need a remedy for any or
binary ailment, my choice goes to a
remedy so good that it made it's
maker rich. A DEFENDER.