The Washington herald., 1912-09-20
RAPs some PATENT
MEDICINES HARD
American Medical Association Ex.
poses an Alleged Nerve Tonic
Called Sanatogen.
OTHER STARTLING EXAMPLES

Handled In characters that he who
runs may read, the most recently ex-
posed fakes in the patent medicine field
are made the subject Of an interesting
and instructive exhibit by the American
Medical Association at the health ex-
hibit Of the Fifteenth International Con-
gress on Hygiene and Demography.
Warnings against patent medicine
fakes form one of the most important
features of the health exhibit and the
lectures which are being given daily in
connection with the big display.
One Of the points which lecturers and
exhibitors are striving to impress most
strongly on the public is that because a
patent medicine has complied with the
requirements Of the pure food and drugs
act. II is not necessarily harmless. A
second point is that the so-called HARM
less patent medicines are harmless only
when given to a well person, because
they are in many cases non-effective;
the time spent by a patient in expert
menting with them affords the disease
that mitch more room for progression be-
fore the services Of a competent ply
sician are brought in.
Because Of their so-called harmlessness
a number of fake medicines receive the
Endorsement Of physicians who, unable
or unwilling to put them TO the test of
a chemical analysis to determine their
probable curative qualities. indorse them
largely on the ground that they are
harmless
1t is this situation which the Amer
lean Medical Association is trying to
meet through exposes in the journal of
that organization and through the ex-
hibit which plays a prominent part In
the big display here.
In the case Of one so-called nerve
tonic. Sanatogen. the public will be
greatly surprised, In the face OF the
many testimonials which are distributed
with the advertising. to learn of its real
value as a food or nerve tonic.
This Is what the cards exposing It say:
Cottage Cheese,
THE New Elixir of Life.
Under the name Of Sanatogen. cottage
cheese, with a little sodium glycerophos-
phate. is exploited under grossly exag-
gerated claims as a food tonic for the
treatment of all forms Of nervous ex-
haustion. The manufacturers claim that
'Sanatogen contains over 700 per cent
more tissue-building. life-sustaining nour-
ishment than wheat -four As a matter
OF fact. cents worth OF wheat flour
contains as much "tissue-building nour-
ishment' as one dollars worth OF San
atogen.
In connection with the card were shown
two large bottles. One was labeled Cot
tage cheese from one dollars worth OF
Sanatogen." The other. containing a
larger amount OF cottage cheese was
labeled Cottage cheese from 10 cents
worth OF SKINNED milk"
Another expose of more than usual
interest involves a much advertised eye
wash. 1t is composed Of water. borax.
and a trace Of berberin, at a total cost
OF cents a gallon. 1t Is sold at the
rate OF sles a gallon.
Among the many tuberculosis cures
exposed Is one known as Natures Crea-
ton" In connection with this, five testi-
monials clipped from newspapers in
which the writer's tell of their complete
cure through use of this marvellous prep
aration are shown, and under each tasti-
monial is printed the date upon which
the writer died OF tuberculosis