Omaha daily bee., 1911-06-22
WANTS STATUTE STRENGTHENED
Would Amend Measure to Avoid Flood
Of Injurious NOStrums.
WEAKNESSES IN LAW INDICATED
Recent Decisions Of Supreme Court
ONT Out Defects.
SAYS ENFORCEMENT Is VIGOROUS
Executive says MtsbrandinE of Medi-
siseE ps 20 Their Curative auaI-
itles shou1s he Pre-
hibated.

WASHINGTON, June H.-In a message
prepared in New York and transmitted
through the White House today to con-
grsss President Taft arraigned the manu-
facturers Of what he denounced dangerous
drug Frauds" and urged congress to amend
at this session the pure food and drug law
TO strengthen that act IN vital points OF
weakness recently pointed out by decisions
Of the United States supreme court
President Tart believes that unless the
law II amended forthwith the country will
again be flooded by Injurious nostrums'
and "cure alIs." which we're common be-
fore the pure food law first was enacted
The presidents message in part follows
TO the Senate and House Of Representa-
tives, Your attention Is respectfully called
to the necessity OF passing at this session
an amendment to the food and drugs act
of June 90 1906, which will supplement ex-
listing law and prevent the shipment In
interstnts and foreign commerce and the
manufacture and sale within the territories
and the District Of Columbia Of worthless
hostrums labeled with misstatements Of
fact ~ 70 their physiological action-mis-
statements false and misleading even in
the knowledge OF those who make them.
"on June "a. loos, after an agitation oi
twenty years the food and drugs sci
passed ~ the fifty-ninth congress received
the approval of the president and beeam'
law WA
'The law has BEEN vigorously enforced
More than aoOo cases have been prepared
Tor criminal prosecution against the ship
pers, OF adultsratsd or misbranded foods
and drugs. and seizures have been mad,
OF more than TOO shipments Of such articles
Moro than two-thirds Of these cases hav,
been begun since March 4. Is0e or IN,
criminal cases more than 500 have termi.
natcd favorably to the government II
every case In which the food seized wal
deieterious to health II was destroyed.
Defect in Law.
The supreme court has held In q recen
decision tvpited States against o. A. John
son, opiuien May .. ipti) that the food snt
drugs act does not cover the knowing falls
l@beiinE ~ posfrnFns ~ 10 curative etfec
ofsphysiolosfcaf action, and that inquir,
Z ufssisr this statutory statute does not by IL
terms extend In any case to the ineffi
oiency OF medicine to work the. cure
olaitnod for them on tho labels. 1t follow
thai without fear OF punishment unde
the law. unscrupuious persons. knowing tn
medicines TO have no curative or remedia
value for the diseases for which they indi
cate them. may ship in interstate com
meroe medicine composed of substance
possessing any slight physiological actio
and labeled as cures for diseases which, Il
the present state Of science. are recognize
a. incurabie."
Menace to General Health.
IAN evil which menaces the genera
health OF the people. strikes at the life o
the nation.
There are none so credulouA as sui
ferers from disease. The need Is urgen
for legislation which will prevent the rails
Ing Of fslss hopes Of speedy cures OF seriou
J, ailments by misstatements OF facts as I
worthless mixtures in which the sick vii
rely. while their diseases progress un
y checked.
"At the time the food and drug act wa
passed. there were current in commerc
literally thousands of dangerous fraud
labeled as cures for epilepsy, sure cure
for oonsump ioa and all lung seases, cure
for Ill kidney, liver and maiarial troubles
cures for diabetes. cures for tumor an
cancer. cures for all forms Of heart disease
In feet. cures for all the Ills known at tn
present day.
~ THE labels OF many OF these so-calle
cures indicated their use for diseases {
children. They were not only utterly ust
less In the treatment Of the disease. bl