The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-12-01
PATENT MEDICINE IS
MERELY PATENT BOOZE
What Some of These Sorry Nos.
trums Contain-A Warning
to the People.
MANY of the Best Periodicals Elk.
pose Fallacy of Patent Med
cine Sharks.

There are various reasons why the
Labor World has a weekly deficit, and
we may be candid with our readers
and say that if we were to run our pa
per according to the prevailing COM
mercial ethics it would not only
probably have no deficit, but pile up
some nice figures on the opposite side
Of the ledger Without trying to give
the whole range of reasons, we may
mention one: our refusal to admit
patent medicine advertising in our
columns. Personally we have nothing
to gain by this, except an approving
concience, but the rule was laid down
several years ago to admit nothing to
= the papers columns that could In any
way be harmful to our readers or de-
moralizing to society. Our movement
seeks to build up and ennoble and I'M
prove the physical and mental cond1-
ton of mankind, and while we have
not drawn the line within the realm
of debatable things, however our per-
sonal view may be, We have put under
the ban the clearly dangerous things,
such as the patent medicine advertise
ments and the fraudulent doctor ads.
which are such disgrace to the daily
capitalist papers.
Every day we find justification for
our position-the reader must bear In
mind that the kind of advertising we
hav specified pays well for space-and
. Just now there comes to our desk the
official report Of the Minnesota Dairy
and Food Commission giving the re-
suit of analyses Of popular patent
"dopes" which are much patronized,
particularly by rural residents. Fraud
is shown in almost every detail, medi-
cines supposed to be compounded of
honey do not contain a trace Of 1t, and
cheap, low-grade whiskey forms
component part of some of them, so
that the user pays a high price for a
cheap grade of booze" such as is the
cause of the delerium tremens and the
fits of the degraded barrel house dis
trict human derelict.
Thus Of Duffy's Malt Whiskey the
bulletin says:
1.-The sample is ten degrees below
U. S. proof and contains solids sew
eral times the amount normal for gen.
uine whskey. The residue insoluble
in cold water and the coloring are not
within the limits allowable for genuine
whiskey'
And this is advertised as a prolonger
Of human life because It Is so pure, -
and is doubtless the daily grog of
many a high-toned Temperance man"
who would not for any consideration
go into a saloon for a drink of whis-
key, though it might be vastly superior
to his Duffy
The many "btters' advertised as
panaceas for kidney, Liver and stom-
ach ailments are simply cheap Whis-
kies favored with some pleasant tast-
ing herbs that have no remedical quail
tiles whatever.
The analyses were made by the chief
chemist of the department, and his
findings must be accepted as accurate,
for a public official would scarcely
dare publish incorrect statements in
matters of this kind, as are seen in the
following:
CURE.-Alcohol, 1910 per cent low
grade sugar syrup added to give de-
sired consistency. Sample contains
salicylic acid and strychnine.
KENNEDY'S HONEY AND TAR
Contains small percentage of al
cohol. Low grade sugar added to pro-
duce desired body. Also chloroform
salicylic acid, codeine, croton oil, pep
permint and sassafras.
BEES HONEY AND TAR-Suga,
Syrup used to give consistency Of thick
moasses Also chlorOform, salicyliC
acid, morphine, crotop oil and pepper
mint.
KINGS NEW DISCOVERY FOR
CONSUMPTION.-S syrup added
to give consistency Of thick molasses
Also chloroform, morphine, pine tai
flavor
CHAMBERLA1N's COL1C, CHoL-
ERA AND DIARRHOEA REMEDY
Contains a large percentage of alco-
hol viz; $3.50 per cent. Also contains
large amounts Of chloroform and NOR
phine, together with peppermint.
PERUNA.-Alcohol, $3.50 per cent;
extract, 0.51 percent. The percentage
of material other than olcohol being
SO small (O.51 per cent? it is not easy
to imagine that this So called remedy
for all human ills is anything else
than diluted low grade whiskey.
The above are enough to show the
patent "dopes,' and that the guzzelers
of patent medicines may have some
idea Of what they guzzle the report de-
scribes the character of the drugs
mentioned in the foregoing, which
somewhat condensed, follows:
"Croton Oil Is violent depressan
poison, producing vomiting, profuse
purging, severe gripping, collapse ant
death. The quantity necessary te
cause a fatal result varies withir
wide limits. The minimum fatal dose
Is not known. Children do not bea,
the drug WELL
"Codeine is q deritave Of morphine
and in its physiological action it is
closely related to morphine. Four
grains of codeine have been known tc
produce cases of severe poisoning.
"Salicyic acid, when locally applied
to mucus membranes in concentrated
form acts as direct irritant. Whe1
taken internally it is capable of caus.
ing ulcerations Of the buccal mem.
brane, nausea and vomiting. The drue
also impedes not only the ferments O.