Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1914-08-13

carried OuI VIC oyoVOhi Va
recommended. After six months
treatment there was reduction OF Is
pounds of flesh, but this the expert
mentors attribute to the fact that the
subject ate no bread, butter, starchy
food, pastry, sugar, or candy while
under observation. The first month
after disseminating the treatment the
subject gained 10 pounds, and in
three months was back to the origi-
nal weight recorded at the beginning
of the treatment.
The circulars, letters, and other
announcements of these so-called
obesity remedies, which are publish
ed broadcast, in many cases asserted
that 2-cent stamp is the only charge.
Those sending the 2 cents to the sup
posed philanthropist, who wishes to
help other sufferers to get rid of sur
plus flesh, commonly received a state
ment that the physician" or pro
lessor" discovered this remedy in the
wilds of some foreign country or re-
ceived it from some famous Indian
medicine man on his deathhrd. Then
after due praise of the effectiveness of
the remedy the professor" states
that he is willing to supply this won
drrful treatment for fee OF from 81 3
to S25 Il month. If the prospective
patient does not answer Immediately
he is besirgrd with a line of follow-up
letters, and finally as great indlvid
ual favor he is TOLD that he can OBJ
tall this marvellous guaranteed flesh
rcduccr for the sum of 81 80. In re-
turn for the reduced price, however
the patient must agree to tell all his
fat friends about this wonderful
means of shedding avoirdupois.
Judging from the letters received
by the department appealing to it to
stop this practice under the food and
drugs act, women are usually the vic
tins of these professors. "
These preparations usually contain
thyroids and Il laxative. The thyroid.
may prove very hurtful unless givrl
under the advice of a physician per
sonally familiar with the subjects
physical condition. The department
has on record an instance where death
has followed overdoses of preparations
containing thyroids. Other prepare
tons contain poke root, a poisonous
drug, and others, analysis shows,
contain nothing that could possibly
have the slightest effect in reducing
flesh.
The promoters of one preparation
assert that it secures most marvellous
results by process of elimination Of
foods without digestion. These people
guarantee the reduction of a pound a
day. A preparation of this charac
ter, if it did what its makers claim
for it, would probably eliminate any
need of digestion in the future. An.
other product, examination shows,
consists principally of ordinary soap.
The idea is to apply this locally with
friction and thus remove the fat
wherever it may be in excess. a still
more clever scheme provides chemi-
Gals to be added to the water in which
the patient is to battle. These chem
icals are of such a nature that they
form sort of curn in the water after
the patient has bathed. This curd,
the advertisement states, is fat and
surplus tissue removed from the body.
Other scenes supply a tablet at -
cents a dozen for which a claim is
made that it will reduce fat at the
rate of a pound day.
No other class of preparations ex-
plotted to humbug the people has a
wider sale, and in nearly every in
stance they are absolutely worthless.
The only ways that the depart
ment's specialists know of safely re-
ducing flesh are rigid dieting, and
strenuous exercise, and those to be
effective must he continued over a
long period of time.
1t is practically impossible to pre-
vent the sale of these preparations in
interstate commerce under the food
and drugs act for the reason that the
claims upon the packages are pur-
posely so guarded as to evade action.
The Post Office Department, how
ever, has been instrumental in silenc-
ing some of these promoters by issu-
ing fraud orders against them and
denying them the use of the mails.
The Department of Agriculture, can
only warn the people to beware of all
preparations containing such claims,
for in the knowledge of all drug