Bridgeton pioneer., 1906-11-29
ANTIQUACK SOCIETY
Protection of Public Health and
Morals It's Intent.
TO WAGE WAR ON FAKE DOCTORS

Child LaboA ard AduIterated Food,
Also to BE Fought by National Or
Eanization Formed In New York
Cleveland Reporters Description o,
His Crusading Experiences.
More than 125 delegates representing
organizations in New York, Philadel
phia and cities of the south and mid
die west assembled in the Hudson the
ater in New York the other afternoon
TO form national body to fight against
-deleterious proprietary medicines, quack
medical institutes and kindred evils,
says 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
g welcomed the delegates to New York
for Mayor Mcclellan, who was unable
to be present, and Mgr. Lavelle of st.
Patrick's cathedral, speaking for Arch
bishop Farley, said that anything that
the clergy and laity of the Catholic
church in America could do to help
on 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. G. 7. e., made an address
The longest speech and the one that
caught the audience the most was
made by Charles F. Stuart, reporter
for the Cleveland News. Mr.. Stuart
told how his city editor called him up
one day and told him to get after the
quacks of Cleveland regardless of ex-
pense"
'First went to two big physicians
of Cleveland" began Mr.. Stuart, "and
told them to go through me with a
dark lantern. They said there was
: nothing the matter with me except a
little bronchial affection, due to ciga-
rettes. Then under an assumed name
visited every big advertising quack
in town. l didn't give them list of
fake symptoms, because even a repu-
s table physician now present could be
: fooled that way. [Laughter.l
First l called on one with whiskers.
They all have whiskers, yknow, but
somehow or other this fellows whis-
kers didn't gee with the whiskers in
his pictures published with his adver-
tisements. He said could be cured of
stomach, liver, lung, kidney and other
diseases-all of which he discovered l
had-for $50 l jewed him down to So,
and then he took me into department
with name Oh the door a yard long,
stretched me on table, and while he
began to massage me he turned on
lot Of fake machinery and colored
lights that had the aurora borealis
: faded. 1-but say, l never made
speech in my life, and l don't know
whether I'm making good. [Cries of
you are; go on, and laughter.l
We'll, he made me sit in a static
chair for three-quarters of an hour.
Suddenly asked him for a 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 I
must have a written guarantee he
handed me one finally that said l
would be cured of-what do you think!
Prostate nephritis.' Now, if any doc
tor here can tell me what the-what
aprostatic nephritis' is I'd be glad to be
intercepted. Laughter l asked the
quack what it was, and he said, That
phrase covers all the other diseases.
Can yod 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 'busi-
ness at least so far as Cleveland was
concerned firms that had been spend
ing $4,000 a year for postage stamps
alone and whose annual business was
: over 100000"
1T is time the community began to
realize the evil that threatens it." said
Chairman Austen Fox. Exposure Of
quacks and quack medicines may put
one or two out of business, but what
we need is laws that will make these
offenses punishable by fines and i'm
prisonment And, as the English say,
It's doggedness as does it, we need to
go at them doggedly not only in local
way, but national as well. | don't be-
heye the enforcement OF. criminal law
should be placed in the. hands of pri-
Vate organizations, but the organiza
lions can wage the fighttte 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 be
lieved here that you must make your
self solid With the. press, but now fee
sure the newspapers are ashamed O.
their part in these matters"
ThQmas w Barlow of Philadelphia
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