The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-12-24
AN7IQuACk SOCIETY
Protection of Public Health and
Morals Its Intent.
10 WAGE WAR ON FAKE DOCTORS

santzatiOn Formed In New York.
Cleveland Reporters Description Of
His CrusadinG Experienced
More than 125 delegates representing
organizations in New York, Philadel-
mia and cities of the south and mid
die west assembled in the Hudson the
TO form a national body to fight against
deleterous proprietary medicines, quack
medical institutes and kindred evils.
saws the New York Sun. Deputy State
Attorney Eugene O'Dunne Of Balti-
more suggested that the organization
be called the Public Health Defense
league, and this name was adopted.
Austen G. Fox presided. President
MCGOWAN of the board of aldermen
welcomed the delegates to New York
for Mayor Mcclellan, who was unable
TO be present, and Mgr. Lavelle of ST.
bishop Farley, said that anything that
the clergy and laity of the Catholic
church in America could do to help
OIL the crusade would gladly be done.
Many of the delegates were women
Mrs. Martha NJ. Allen, head of the de
partment of medical temperance Of the
W. c. r. C., made an address.
The longest speech and the one that
nnlianno hn
made by Charles F. Stuart. a reporter
for the Cleveland News. Mr.. Stuart
told how his city editor called him up
one day and told him to get after the
uuacks of Cleveland regardless Of ex-
pense."
First, / went to two big physicians
of Cleveland" began Mr.. Stuart, land
told them to go through me with
dark lantern. They said there was
nothing the matter with me except
little bronchial affection, due to ciga-
rettes Then under an assumed name
J visited every big advertising quack
ln town | didn't give them list Of
fake symptoms, because even repu-
table physician now present could be
fooled that way. Laughter
First called on one with whiskerS
They all have whiskers. y'know, but
somehow or other this fellows whis-
kers didn't gee with the whiSkers in
his pictures published with his adver-
tsements. He said could be cured of
stomach, liver. lung. kidney and other
diseases-all of which he discovered
had-for $50. | jewed him down to S..
and then he took me into department
with a name on the door yard long,
stretched me on a table, and while he
began to massage me he turned on
lot Of fake machinery and colored
lights that had the aurora borealis
faded. but say, l never made
speech in my life, and | don't know
whether I'm making good. [Cries Of
you are; go on. and laughter.
Well. he made me sit In static
chair for three-quarters of an hour
Suddenly | asked him for guarantee
that ! would be cured of all the dis
eases he had found.
you're almost half cured now, said
the doctor but when l insisted that
must have written guarantee he
handed me one finally that said l
would he cured of-what do you think
Prostate nephritis" Now. If any doc
tor here can tell me what the-what
prostate nephritis' is I'd be glad to be
interrupted Laughter. | asked the
quack what it was. and he said, That
phrase covers all the other diseases
Can You beat it? Also their private
drug stores are the greatest system OF
graft in existence.
After my paper had sent me the
rounds of the city we scOurged them
right and left and called them robbers.
cheats and everything else by name.
BY that crusade we put out OF Dusl-
hess at least so far as Cleveland was
concerned. firms that had been spend
lnS $4,000 a year for postage stamps
alone and whose annual business was
over $60O.OOo.'
1T is time the community began to
realize the evil that threatens it. salo
Chairman Austen Fox. Exposure OF
guackS and Quack medicines may put
one or two out Of business, but what
We need is laws that will make these
orenses punishable by fines and Inn
prlsOnment. And, as the English say,
Its doggednesS as does it, we need 70
20 at them doggedly not only in local
way. but national as well. l don't DE-
heve the enforcement of criminal law
should be placed in the hands or prl'
Vate organizations. but the organi.a'
IONS can wage the fight to bring the
sponsors of these abuses to justice.
Our great power will be the press
heretofore the press has been the mos'
recreant to its duty. 1t is generally pc
heved here that you must make your
self solid with the press. but now Zee
sure the newspapers are ashamed OF
melr part in these matters
Thomas w. Barlow Of Philadelpnia
spoke principally of the work done oy
anthony Comstock for the promotion
VI sweetness and light in New YORK
ana later Mr. Comstock took the nool
ana spoke in the same strain.
NO specific legislation was discussed
4ne sole purpose Of the conference 81