The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-07-20
ruptcy for everybody else, may con
slider himself psycho.ogically snub-
bed
Advertised Medicines,

/ X.
Toledo (Ohio) Times: Not until re.
Gently did the press Of the Unlteo
States manifest any difference OF
opinion relative to the efficacy OF ad'
| vertised medicines. Denunciation OF
their publicity was limited to the
doctors, and very naturally; for the
money which the patent medicine
people spend In advertising wouio
largely go to the doctors If not turn
ed into the channels of publicity.
When suffering humanity seeks
physician and pays fee as we'll as
the price of prescription, the Zee
represents the money saved the same
sufferer by an advertised medicine
when no physician is consulted. In
the latter case the amount OF the fee
has gone into publicity and was ex-
penses by the manufacturer OF the
medicine instead OF by the patient.
But in later years a division in the
sentiment Of the press has been noted
relative to advertised medicines.
Some journals, actuated by zeal to
protect their readers from fraud. have
closed their columns to all patent
medicine advertisements, and many
OF them have followed this with q
general campaign against advertised
medicines, although In most OF such
cases 1t has been noteworthy that this
campaign was so sensationally con-
Quoted as to indicate a purpose to
promote the circulation Of the journal
engaged in it as well as to save the
dear public from the consequences OF
indiscriminate drugs.
The truth in regard to advertised
medicines is that, like the services OF
the doctors, they vary in excellence.
It is very much to be doubted, how
ever, that there are as many frauds
among patent preparations as there
are human frauds In the practice OF
medicine. The average of both may
be determined consistently with the
average of honesty and efficiency IN
human nature. Therefore we have
laws to protect the public against
auack doctors and fraudulent patent
medicines, and such laws are needed
in both cases.
But it is as absurd to consign all
patent medicines to the scrap pile as
1t would be to condemn all doctors as
dishonest or incompetent. A large
proportion OF the advertised medt-
cines now for sale have been on the
market for a quarter of century,
and there are few practising physi-
clans to whose period of usefulness
this test can he applied Where an
advertised medicine has had long
continued sale, 1t is almost certain to
have merit. Meanwhile the genius OF
the age is quite as able now to IN
vent new efficient remedies and place
them ON the market by advertising as
1t was twenty five years ago.
In considerin both the eminent
service to humanity and the proved
usefulness OF many advertised RENE
dies which have stood the test OF
time, We must concede something to
human nature Suffering humanity Will
not be dictated to as to the use OF
medicines beyono the approval Of its
own judgment Every man Is. after
all. his own doctor; II he has faith IN
his physician, he Is his own doctor to
that extent, and il he has faith in his
favorite advertised remedy, he per-
sfsts in being his own doctor when he
buys 1t. But he will always insist on
the liberty to do one or the other, as
he plsases, and neither bigotry nor
law has right to deprive him OF
that liberty.