Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1915-04-09
TUBERCULOSIS
Remedies" That are WOrthless-No
Real Cure Possible From Any of
The Patent Preparations Investi-
gated by Government Scientist.

After Investigating under the Food
and Drugs Act, a large number of
preparations advertised as consump-
ton cures, the Department of Agri-
culture has not been able to discover
any that can in any sense be regard
ed as cures" for tuberculosis. Some
contain drugs that may at times af-
ford some temporary relief from the
distressing symptoms of the disease,
but tbs is all. Since the passage of
DISQUALIFICATION prohibiting the ship
ment in interstate of medi-
cinal preparations for which false and
fraudulent claims are made, there has
been a marked tendency to label these
~preparations "remedie5' instead of
cures" or "infallible cures" as they
used to be called. In many cases,
however, they can not ever be regard
| ed as remedies.
A CHERRY balsam", for example,
for the "cure' of Consumption" and
"hemorrhage of the lungs, which it
was represented would "strike at the
very root of the disease" was found
on analysis to be nothing but a solu-
ton in water and alcohol of opium
sugar, benzaldehyde, inorganic salts
and coloring matter. 1t contained nc
cherry bark extract or balsam.
A more elaborate "cure' consisted
of five different preparations which
the credulous patient was to take sep
arately. These were first, the medi
cine proper, the essential ingredient
of which were found to be morphine
cinnamic acid and arsenic-not a yer,
safe mixture to take habitually; sec
ond, a tonic which was supposed t.
contain iron but did not; third,
Cough mixture" made up of alcohol
ch~loroform, and codeine which is
derivative of opium or morphine
Fourth, a mixture which containe
some quinine, and a solution of waite
and alcohol; and fifth, codeine tablets
Even the strongest constitution coul
hardly stand a prolonged cours o
such a treatment.
In the marketing of such prepare
tons considerable ingenuity is FIRE
quently shown. One of the main oh
. jects is to persuade the patient ths
he is receiving. at a comparatively To-
price, the individual attention of
trained specialist. For this purpos'
symptom blanks are employed. Thes
contain a number of questions abor
the patients symptoms, the humble
varying from a dozen or so to as man
as 10 or 80. The patient is led to b,
} iieve that the information which /
furnishes in reply to these question
will be carefully considered before an
q medicine is prescribed for him, thong
every physician knows that an a,
curate diagnosis cannot possibly
made in this way. AS a matter
fact none is attempted and the degrs
: of attention which these individu;
reports receive can be measured /
s the fact that cases have come und,
the observation of the department
, which mail order concerns doing
business of this kind have received s
many as 1000 letters a day.
After the patient has submitted h
diagnosis report" he is urged to pu
chase a supply of the medicine.
he does so, he is then urged to pu
chase more. If he states that he h;
experienced no beneficial effects he
told that he has not taken enoug
and this process is likely to contin,
until the limits of his credulity ha'
been reached. If. on the other han
ne decides at the beginning not to pu
chase the medicine 1t is likely to
offered to him at successfully low
prices until he is at last induced
believe that he cannot afford to ignot
such a bargain. This is carried
such an extent that a treatment
the original price of which is $3.50
may be offered at the end of s
months for $3.50.
AS a matter of fact the SUGGEST
treatment of tuberculosis requir
much more than the mere giving
medicine and. moreover. what W
help one case will not necessarily he
> another. Claims that are absolute
unwarranted are no longer permitt
on the labels of medicines shipped
interstate commerce. but the wor
ing maj be such as to convex a M
Leading impression without the use
absolute statement. Thus these pl
parations continue to find a sale d.
mite the fact that a little trouble
the part of the prospective puchas
will reveal their worthlessness.