The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1914-11-13
DEFENDS POPULAR REMEDIES
Speaker Says Newspapers Should In
vestisate Merits Of Medicines Be-
fore Barring Advertisements.

That an organized attempt has been
made TO blacken the reputation OF the
popular family remedies OF this coun-
try. and TO mislead the newspaper
publishers into rejecting tho adver-
tising OF such medicines, was the
charge made by Carl j. Balliett. OF
Buffalo, N. Y, at the convention OF the
Advertising Afiiliation at Detroit
Mr.. Balliett is n director OF the Pro
prietary Association OF America, which
includes in it's membership two hun
dred firms which make the popular
prepared medicines of America.
Mr.. Balliett pointed out that II In
the duty of the newspaper publisher
to refuse the advertising OF any fake
or fraudulent medicine, Just as II IL
his duty to refuse any fake or fraudu-
lent advertising, but II IL not right to
shut down on all medical advertising
because there have been some takers.
any more than II would be right to
refuse to publish all department store
advertising because certain stores
have made practice OF lying about
bargain sales.
Disease and death are mysteries.
People who are perfectly we'll are
skeptical. They laugh at the time
worn patent medicine Joke, Just as
they laugh again and again over the
many variations OF the operation joke
The operation was success but
the patient died" This lso-called hu-
NOR has perhaps hurt the medicine
business with well people. but when
the hitherto healthy man feels Sc
we're pain or illness, he Immediately
wants medicine, and will bless the
cure whether II be at the hands OF
regular doctor, a homeopath, an osteo-
path, a Christian Scientist or patent
medicine. There IN nothing more
deadly than disease; nothing more
honorable than to cure II.
Mr.. Balliett refuted the idea sought
to be spread about that patent medi-
cines are unpopular by showing that
from 1900 to 1912 the amount OF pre-
pared medicines consumed In America
increased from s100,000000 to $780,
100000 annually. He showed that, al
though the American Medical Associ-
exterminate so-called patent medi-
cines, the family doctor, individually.
Is not fighting them but prescribing
them. He estimated that 40% OF the
prescriptions written by doctors today
include proprietary medicinea
The writings OF DR.. Harvey w. WI.
ley, he said. have also aimed TO de-
stroy confidence IN proprietary medi-
cines; but that Dr. Wiley's ideas are
not infallible is shown by cases where
his analyses were entirely wrong. Mr..
Balliett mentioned case where. with
all the power OF the Government. he
fought a preparation az being danger
Gus TO health. and was ingloriously
walloped.
There has been spread the idea that
q clever faker can mix few useless
ingredients and by smart advertising.
sell tons OF II and win sudden wealth;
whereas. as a matter OF fact, the medi-
cine business is notoriously dIffcult.
and, where there has been one success
at II, there have been hundred fail.
ures. Any medicine which has 20
merit cannot live. because persons
uho are duped into buying n once vill
not buy II again. and the proft from
advertising n medicine can only come
from repeat sales 10 the same. ss,is-
aed people. Therefore. any medicine
Shich has been on the market for
oumber OF years. and IL still sdver.
Used. must have merit behind Il 10 ac-
count for its success.
In conclusion Mr. Balliett declared
hat no newspaper is dong justice 10
ts readers In the matter OF medical
" other advertising, unless II lDvesti-
-. - q - nv n q -