The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-08-18
POSTOFFICE STOPS
WILLIAMS BUSINESS
Des Moines ouack, Who Got Hun
dreds OF Letters Each Day From
People Who Had Catarrh.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Aug. IS
The postoffice department has issued
an order shutting out of the mails
the catarrh mail order business car
ried on by DR.. T. F. Williams of Des
Moines. He has been doing large
and profitable business according to
the department.
DIR. Williams advertised extensive
ly, offering to treat through the mails
persons suffering from catarrh. Medi-
cine for one month was given free
of charge to any applicant. Litera-
ture was freely supplied togther with
printed symptom blank" containing
questions which the applicant was re-
uuested to answer and send to Dr..
Williams, who promised to diagnose
the case and prepare the applicant
for treatment.
A booklet sent out by DR.. Williams
impresses the direful consequences
| that follow catarrh when his treat
ment is neglected These include con-
sumption, pneumonia, diphtherla,
Bright's disease, deafness. dyspepsia
and other stomach, liver and kidney
troubles. DR.. williams then proceeds
to dwell on the kind of effective
treatment he offers, with rfle assur-
ance that it will completely cure no
matter how advanced the catarrh."
DR.. Williams patients, 1T is said,
were classified in one of four divisions,
IS follows: "a s B, B S B and G s
b. meaning respectively, catarrh of
head. throat and nose, catarrh of the
!! bronchial tubes, catarrh involving
4 stomach and catarrh affecting the gen
eral system After the patient was
thus classified, he received what was
called a diagnosis letter printed IN
imitation typewriting, representing
that the patient was suffering with
lone of the classes of troubles men
toned and that serious consequences
would follow unless prompt attention
we're given his case, which would be
cured by DR.. Williams treatment if
the patient RENTED $3.50 to pay for
an instrument with which to use the
medicines. This instrument was called
vaporizer. If a second months
treatment were necessary to complete
the department says second $3.50
was necessary. DIR. Williams promised
patient drawback of $3.50 if he
failed to cure him, providing the va
porizer was returned within fifteen
days. The department says evidence
shows that when the natient applied
for the promised drawback" he re
ceived letter urging him to try the
treatment while longer. After do
ing this the refund, the department
says was denied on the ground that
the treatment had beer used for more
than fifteen days. The department
found that "vaporizers" could be pur
chased for $3.50 each or less and that
in the conduct of his business it says
DR. Williams did not handle symptom
blanks with much care. The depart
ment further discovered that both DR.
Williams letters and circulars pro
missed patients his personal attention
and that a young physician handled
the medical features of the cases.
The department offered to with
hold the issuance of a fraud order II
L DR.. Williams would discontinue the
catarrh mail order business, but i
saws he failed to do this AT tbs
1 time the department ;cted DR.. VIII
Jams was receiving between 400 anC
500 letters daily