The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-06-09
NEWSPAPERS AID
POISON SELLERS
Detroit Woman Bilked and Nearly
Killed by AID. Which The Detroit
Times Would Not Print.

A startling illustration of the harm
wrought by INSCRIPTIONS and grasping
lpurveyors of fake cures" with tho
able assistance OF equally unscrupu-
lous newspaper publishers who permit
their columns to be defiled by these
Takers for the sake OF the money
there Is In II. has come to the atten-
ition Of DR.. George McElveen. with Of
noes In the Whitney opera house
building. In this instance IL was a
so-called morphine cure" sent out by
n Chicago concern styling itself the
|St. Paul association.
A Detroit woman, attracted by the
concerns alluring advertisements In
" newspaper. tried the cure" paying
$40 for six four-ounce bottles. When
she called on Or. McElveen for treat
ment her condition. physically and
mentally. was SO pitiable that he at
lonce took the case up with the public
Ihealth department at Washington in
the hope Of preventing the sale OF the
baneful concoction.
The information came as mo sur
prise to the authorities. Other COM
plants of like nature had preceded
DR.. McElveen's, and legislation Is now
pending In congress looking toward
the regulation OF the sale OF such pro-
ducts. he was informed. The authori-
ties also were hopeful that law
would ultimately be passed prohibit
Ing the advertising OF such products.
The morphine cure" in question, ac-
cording to the label. contains Is
grains OF morphine TO the ounce and
four grains OF dlonine to the ounce,
diluted with IL per cent OF alcohol
"Dionine." says DR.. McElveen. rs
morphine poison In it's worst form.
one of the most powerful OF the NOR
phine compounds, In fact Once per-
son starts using the stun he must
keep on using II. Deprived OF IL, M
goes all TO pieces so the cure Is moth
Ing more than a continuation OF the
morphine habit In an aggravated form.
And yet some newspapers will fuf-
Their such diabolical scheme 10 ex-
tract money from unfortunate and un-
suspecting human beings by selling
advertising space to the promoters
THE woman attended told me she
used four bottles OF the stuff In two
weeks. When she discontinued Its use
she actually became demented.
DR. McElveen's letter to Prof. Wiley,
OF the bureau OF chemistry, Washing
ton. ID. c., is In part as follows:
am sending you herewith label de-
tached from bottle of medicine sup
piled TO patient now under my care
by the ST Paul Association OF Chicago.
also letter from the association to
the patient explaining the effects OF
the drug. which was supposed to take
the place OF. or cure, the morphine
habit The medicine is advertised in
Chicago newspapers, and l would be
glad TO know IL steps could not be
taken To prevent the advertising OF
drugs OF this nature so that they get
understand the effects OF same.
To this letter. w. ID. Bigelow. acting
chief of the bureau. replied:
We are well acquainted with the st.
Paul association OF Chicago and It's
method OF doing business Several
possible habitues are IN our possession.
We thank you for the information you
advise you that at present there is no
way or means by which II Is possible
TO prevent the advertising OF products
wise. This IS matter which should
receive careful consideration by all
thinking medical men. and II is hoped
that a law Will ultimately be passed
prohibiting the advertising OF such
products. and also forbid their ship
ment into interstate commerce, except
by personal medical supervision.
We are inclosing a copy OF the Mann
bill. which was intended to cover tran
sactions represented by tho st. Paul
Association. and / would ask that you
return the bill at your earliest convent
ence with such criticism and sugges,
tlons as may appear rom rom men'eai
Accordingly, DR.. McElveen. in his
second letter, suggested that the au-
thorities start at the top
He wrote as follows:
There are a few so-called physicians
that are engaged In the practice OF
medicine that are drug hends OF the
there are people suffering the worst
form OF slavery as a result OF irrespon-
Nible physicians having administered
at times OF suffering opium or other
| narcotics There are instances where
| the subject has not been aware Of the
| danger until the habit has been formed.
There are drug stores in our city
where the drug clerk prescribes and
hands out to the customers any kind OF
preparation, no matter what the con-
tents The Mann bill cannot be
II would fill a long-felt and neglected
| want. In our hurry we lost sight OF
our unfortunate fellow beings and
allow them to be imposed upon from,
source where there is only one con-
sideration--money.
The interest manifested in legisla-
tion OF this nature will meet with the
sharpest practice possible In the way
OF OBSTRUCTION. az the proposed IeHlsld-
tion would cut off the revenue great
many papers thrive upon. There are
signs OF Improvement visible, ns one of
our metropolitan datlics has right
along cut out all such matter from Its
columns. and there are others that Will
follow as soon as the people awake to
the great injury being done and de-
mand change for the good cause OF
clean advertising.
In his reference to a Detroit paper
which does not assist the quacks and
the sharks. DR.. McElveen meant The
Detroit Times. the only newspaper In