The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-11-25
THE GULL|NG OF:
THE INNOCENT
Bureau of Chemistry Bulletin
Warns Public Against Sc
ductive Advertisements.
(By w. f..

Vague and indefinite laws are blamed
for the inability Of the bureau OF
Chemistry of the Department OF Ag-
riculture to protect as fully as lt
might the public from falling into
traps set by INSCRIPTIONS advertisers
Of patent medicines and others who |
take advantage of every trick known
to gull the innocent. A recent bulle-
tin warns the public against answer
ing advertisements which promise TO
send free of charge a prescription
for the cure Of some disease. The
fraud is covered up so ingeniously
that it is no wonder that so many
people are fooled.
The advertisement, deliberately en-
bellished and "testimonialed," avs
that some doctor has used this Won
derful prescription in his practice
with wonderful success and the ad-
vertiser cannot refrain from allow
ing individuals to benefit by his own
experience in being SO marvelOusly
cured. The prescription is free, and
can be filled at any drug store.
Selling Product Under Cover.
This seems fair enough to the af-
ficted so the ad is answered. The
prescription comes free as promised
and the recipient takes 1T to a drug
store to be filled. Among the ingre-
dents in the prescription is some
patent medicine put down under a
technical name. The druggist, in or
der to fill the prescription. must buy
q quantity OF this particular medicine,
which is. of course, controlled by one
firm. What he has left over will
probably be Of no use to him. SO he
has to charge the customer a stiff
price for the medicine in order to
justify his purchase. Hence the Gus
toner pays two or three prices for
Sf,,H Which NAV " mt ne Unrfh.
less, but in any case is not worth the
price.
Some firms even go. so far as to
publish the prescription in the adver-
tisement, depending upon the reader
to clip 1t out and take it to a drug
gist to be filed. Many people who
would not trust a patent medicine
ordinarily. are caught by this since
they are buying from their local drug
gist. The patent medicine is, of
course, in the prescription. r
This sort Of selling practice, cannot
be reached by prosecuting, and the
government can do nothing but issue
warnings. even II the ingredients in
the medicine should be harmful, it is
doubtful IL the government could
reach the advertiser Of the newspa-
pers since the responsibility is Sc
shunted. The druggist is helpless, fol
II he refuses to fill the prescription
he loses the confidence Of his pat
rons They either go somewhere else
or accuse him Of being in league with
the doctors.
Another hole which seems in neet
Of plugging by Congress is in the pur'
food and drug act. Practically ever!
manufacturer of foe or drugs use
label: "Guaranted Under the Foo.
and Drug Acts When the law wen
on the statute books. this was takel
M tho to nnnr t~N 49, -~v
had analysed the produC
and had ound it pure. Many people
in fact the majority Of people, stil
think that is the meaning of the la
bel.
1t does not necessarily mean any
thing Of h kind. 1t means simpl
that than there e is anythin in
manufacturer and not the dealer {
the consumer is legally responsible fc
the defect. 1t is no guaranteed of pu
rity or of inspection. 1t is a manufat
turers' guarantee and nothing els
Yet the Impression prevails that tt
government through its pure food an
drug act has inspected, tested, ar
guaranteed this product. The label
not a ~vindication of the law. An,
one has a right to guarantee anythir
and the is worth only jul
as much as the word and charter
the manufactures.
h Federal government has Il
power under the new law to pros
cute manufacturer for wilful adj
iteration in certain cases where I.
products are shipped across sta
lines. but the lack Of uniformity b
tween State and National laws pr
vents the government from prosecu
ing cases where the products a
made and consumed in the sar
state. The government, morrow,
can control the shipment Of produ.
unfit for food designed for use who
in the arts. For instance. putrid eg
are useful for tanning purposes. The
a be shipped hen it is specifi
hat they are not to be used for 70,
but their is nothing to prevent tn,
being sold for food after they /:
rive at their destination. Rancid b,
ter shipped with the understand
that it was to be used for sOapmaki1
could be worked over into a fo
product and sold without violation
"a Federal law. SO limited is the e,