The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1911-03-02
CULTURE !:
SERIES NO. 6
''Children and Patent Medi-
cines'' by Prof. Hollis, of
V. c.. Normal School.

A sufficient number of analyses
of patent medicines have now been
made by government and other chem
lists to warrant this department to
sound a note of warning against the
Patent Medicine Habit. All Patent
Medicines are not dangerous; some
are, and the general public does not
discriminate-frequently has no means
of doing so. The contents of harmful
remedies like Peruna have been so
frequently exposed as to make the
name a byword-and yet this alcohol
ic beverage continues to be sold at the
drug stores as medicines and contin-
ues it's absurd advertisements. After
examining the testimony in suit
brought against druggist in SYRIA
cuse, N. Y, for selling Psruna with
out saloon license, Prof. Ladd con-
cludes: A.
'sPeruna would seem to be just a
plain, mild booze, a form of intoxi-
eating beverage, not medicine and
not cure for the diseases clamed.''
1t is Il regrettable fact that the drug
stores do not help in the campaign
against patent medicines. They have
taken no part in the exposures of
fraudulent remedies. Instead they al
low immense window displays to be
made advertising the concoction; they
send circulars and almanacs through
the mail to their patrons, and appar-
emily are not interested in the cam
paign now being SO successfully waged
by welfare organizations against the
patent medicine evil.
In many states the better class of
drug stores are getting out of the sal
oon business and the cigarette busi-
ness, and to that extent restoring the
ancient respect with which their high
calling was regarded; if they should
take further step and refuse to sell
:. the more vicious of the patent medi-
cines, they would remove the oppro-
brium that now attaches to their busi-
ness and be among the most honored
and bsneficent of callings. DR.. Hora.
ito Wood, Jr., Popular Science
Monthly for June, 1906 estimates thai
every year 500, 100000 are spent in
the U. S. alone for patent medicines.
The worst of these are the Pain Kill
ers, containing cocaine or morphine
as the soothing principle, and the ex
hilators containing alcohol or strych
nine, Ito make you feel good whel
you take it and miserable when yo,
: DON'T"
: From the standpoint of Child Wei
fare, DR.. Wood declares the soothing
: syrups to be the most diabolical Q
all, Is they are loaded down witt
q morphine. The Ladies Home Journa
= of April, 1908, cites the case of a chill
that became peevish and cross. A
eight o'clock the mother gave the chill
the first dose of medicine, at two o
: three o'clock in the afternoon the chill
died. The chemist found morphine il
the medicine.
Q "rwo infants, twin babies, thre
months old, were given q dose Of &C
k called soothing sleeping. syrup on
night because they would not sleeI
J. The next morning the mother foun
,e both babies dead. The coroner's ii
quest of the stomachs of the babie
disclosed the fact that they had die
# from the opium contained in th
. Soothing (?) medicine.
o In England the Pharmacy Act con
IT pels Mrs. Winslow's Soothing Syru
a. to be plainly labeled Poison.
le How many of our readers know {
instances where patent medicines r.