The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1906-03-01

fHS SSiSiahs 10 write tEetr PreScrip-
tions in Plain English?
y bill has been introduced in the
Virginia Legislature by Delegate
Gaines to require the manufacturers
of so-called patent medicines To give
upon each bottle or package form
ula OF the ingredients contained there
in. Commenting on this the Suffolk
Na.) Herald says:
Now suppose patent medicine
manufacturers under the law were
compelled to do that. what percent
age OF the people using patent medi-
cines would be enlightened by such
| formula? We guarantee that very
few would consult the formula. and
ii they did would know very little
about it. When the law invites per-
sons to suspect and avoid medicines
i'll the case OF which such elaborate
precautions are necessary, the aver
age man will rush panic stricken to
! the regular practitioners. whosepills,
potlons, etc, are quite as mysterious
aud. it may be, us questionable as
any OF the various patent medicines
and cure-alls against which this pro-
posed legislation is aimed.
why should Il regular practition-
er be allowed to give Il prescription
Oh which there are lot OF Latin
words and unknown characters and
the compromising apothecary to put
up the same III bottle labeled, shake
| we'll and take three times IL day be-
| fore meals. and then make the man
ufactur!ng chemist put n formula
upon the bottle or package he puts
up. Why stigmatize one class and
exempt another" BY what standard
are we to recognize the one over an
! other? We are not arguing that the
| bill would not be worth something
TO get rid OF fake cure-alls and ille-
gitimate patent medicines. but no
sure reasoning can be employed to
show that it is fair ;tHd just 10 make
the manufacturing chemist to psb-
lish his formula for II remedy which
he recommends for certain specified
ailments and not make the regular
| practitioner, who prOses to treat
every ailment human flesh is heir to.
do the same thing. Why not be fair
and do it in both cases? Tack on to
the bill such an amendment and it
would not get out of the committee
room, for the practitioners would
raise such II howl the like Of which
| has never been heard.
There are fake patent medicines
and plenty of them no one doubts,
but any remedy in order to be sue
| cessful and stand the test of wears
must ue meritOrious. 1t must either
cure or benefit the sick, else in the
course Of time it will fall into disuse.
\ reputable manufacturer has this
fact i'll mind when he is compromising
his remedy, and when he il com
PEELED 10y law to print the formula
on the bottle, anyone and everyone
could compound it, and then there is
an opportunity for careless and dis
reputable manufacturers to com
pound the remedy OF what drugs
they desired to use and the customer
would run the chance OF not getting
the same physiological effect Then
does it not really protect the custom
or OF the meritoriOus remedies by not
making known to the world the for
mula?
IF there are any remedies on the
market that are doing harm by en-
dangering the lives or happiness of
the people, such remedies should be
done away with, and the fact is. if
such are on the market, it wont he
long before the people will find it
out. II an advertisement OF any pro-
prietary medicine appears in the col
umns of the Herald, the use Of which
will endanger life. we would be glad
to know it. and we do not propose
TO run advertisements oi takers ana
health destroyers, ii we know it.
We cannot endorse the crusade
made against patent medicines in
certain quarters. Fraudulent man
u!acturers OF proprietary medicines
should be put out of business ii posi-
hle, but il it be AN honest crusade
against pro prietary medicines be-
cause they contain more or less alec
h0I, why not carry it further Why
not 20 after tie manufacturers OF
fluid extracts and tincture- and the
physician who prescribes them? That
would show that they were acting in
good faith and for moral effect. but
when they ignore these and turn
their energies TO proprietary m"di-
zines alone We begin TO doubt the
motive and think that something
else Is behind the crusade. Bat this
Is aside from the main question.
w" want to rtiierat, that If our
legislators want to be fair and Just.
and it Is for tic good ofhumanity to
know what medicine Is iStaking then
compel the doctor 20 giye his pre-
scription in plain English That's
all.
The best safeguard against headArh.. con
stipation. and liver troubles j. Dewitt 1t
tie Early Esers Keep . vial uf these famous