The Detroit times., 1912-06-21
MEDICAL FAKIRS BRANDED
HUMAN VAMPIRES BY PROF.
ST. BIGtLON, OF u, OF NJ.
Scandal That Bloodsuckers Are
Allowed to Be in Business, He
Tells c. H. S. Graduates
DRUG CURES" CONDEMNED
Says Nostrums Contain Mar
cotics From Bondage of Which
Patients Seek Freedom
DRUG CURES" CONDEMNED

We most educate the children TO
be harder to fool than their parents
are" said 8. Lawrence Bigelow, pro
lessor OF general and physical chem
istry, University OF Michigan, In
closing his address on Science as a
protection against fraud" before the
graduating class OF the Central High
school, In the auditorium OF the
school, Thursday morning.
The professor paid his respects TO
the medical quacks in particular, and
appealed to his hearers 70 use their
influence to put them out OF the bust
ness.
Many women are today denying
themselves the necessities and com.
forts OF life to buy the useless prep
arations OF quacks," said the professor
in the course OF his talk. lin the hope
that they or some dear friends may be
benefited. Now, something must be
done TO stop these bloodsuckers. It's
a scandal, an outrage. that they should
be allowed to go on. Some one may
eynically say that a man should suf-
fer II he Is fool enough to pay a dol
lar for something that Is no good.
say that such reasoning is wrong;
we should help TO protect one another
from such frauds, and use the laws to
put the medical parasites In jail,
where they belong"
The professor, in exposing some OF
the more prominent of patent medi-
cines, pointed out that they contained
more alcohol than does champagne,
one exceptionally popular remedy"
having three times as much. Sooth-
ing syrups soothed, he said, because
phine.
So-called cures for the drug habit
also came in for a roasting The pro-
fessor declared that the cures were
pure fakes that the drugs given as
curative agencies contained the very
same drug to which the patients were
enslaved Scientific analyses had
proven this, he said The only differ
ence In the administration was that
the drug in the treatment was given
at an elevated price.
1T is something terrible to think
how this band of human vampires
carries on its damaging work" said
the professor In ''panning' the drug
cures"
The professor said statistics proved
that So per cent of diseases would
run their course and disappear with
out treatment OF any kind, and that
the patent medicine manufacturers
could very well lay claim TO that per-
eentage OF cures. He also told OF a
certain preparation for the recrea-
ton Of lost health" being sold for
dollar a bottle, while the cost of pre-
pairing il was only about four cents.
II had a flavor of cottage cheese,
which seemed to be fascinating
feature, the professor said. Other
connections were sold at an even
greater percentage OF profit, costing
less than one per cent TO prepare,
while selling for dollar and more
per bottle, the speaker declared.
Frauds In connection with the ex.
traction of gold from seawater were
also reviewed by the professor, as
we're the schemes Of INSCRIPTIONS
brokers, who swindled by means Of
crooked mining deals. The brokers,
he said, paid as much as 20 cents a
name for prospective victims, being
particularly anxious to get hold OF
widows and orphans, to whom life in
surance had been left. These frauds,
he said, we're accomplished through
the "devilish ingenuity of impos7ors."
While II was difficult to reach GER
tain kinds Of quacks and swindlers,
the professor said that the present
pure food laws were working havoc
with the patent medicine manufacture
ers. because they are now obliged TO
tell on the labels what their nos
trums contain.
The presentation of the diplomas 10
the graduates followed the address.
Music was furnished by the school
orchestra.