The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1915-04-22
TUBERCULOSIS REMEDIES"
THAT ARE WORTH ESS
No Real Cure Possible From Any Of
The Patent Preparations Inyestigat-
ed hy Government Scientist,

w Wy htftihNutHi NtifUtist.
Washington, April l7--Aftcr in
vestigating under the Food and Drugs
Act, large unmcr Of preparations adj
vertised as consumption cures. the De-
partment Of Agriculture has not been
able TO discover any that can in any
sense be regarded ms cures for to-
berculosis. Some contain drugs that
may at times afford some temporary
relief from the distressing symptoms
Of the disease, but this is all. Since
the passage Of federal legislation pro-
hibiting the shipment in interstate
commerce of medicinal preparations
for which false and fraudulent claims
are made, there has been marked
tendency TO label these preparations
remedies instead Of cures or" infal-
lible cures" as they used TO be called.
In many cases, however, they can not
even be regarded as remedies.
A cherry balsam,' for example, for
the cure" Of consumption" and hem
orrhage of the lungs which II was
represented would "strike at the very
root of the disease" was found on
analysis to be nothing but solution
in water and alcohol of opium, sugar,
benzaldehyde, inorganic salts and col
oring matter II contained no cherry
balsam 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 ingredients
of which were found to be morphine.
cinnamic acid and arsenic-not very
safe mixture to take habitually; sec
ond, tonic which was supposed TO
contain iron but did not; third,
cough mixture" made up Of alcohol,
and codeine which is de-
rivative of opium or morphine; fourth,
a mixture which contained some quiz
nine, and a solution of water and alco
hol; and fifth, codeine tablets. Even
the strongest constitution could hardly
stand a prolonged course Of such
treatment.
In the marketing Of such prepare
tons considerable ingenuity is fire.
quently shown. One of the main OBJ
jects is to persuade the patient that
he is receiving, at a comparatively low
price, the individual attention of
trained specialist For this purpose,
symptom blanks are employed. These
contain number of questions about
he patients symptoms, the number
varying from a dozen or so to as many
rs 70 or So The patient is led to be-
ieve that the information which he
furnishes in reply to these questions,
will be carefully considered before any
is prescribed for him, though
very physician knows that an accur-
tie diagnosis cannot possible be made
n this way. As a matter of fact none
S attempted and the degree of atten-
ion which these individual reports re-
Give can be measured by the fact that
asses have come under the observation
# the department in which mail order
oncerns doing a business of this kind
eceived as many as 1000 letters a
ay.
After the patient has submitted his
diagnosis report" he is urged to pur-
base a supply Of the medicine. If he
oes so, he is then urged TO purchase
lore. II he states that he has exper-
,nced no beneficial effects he is told
hat he has not taken enough, and this
, likely to continue until the limits OF
is credulity have been reached. II,
n the other hand, he decides at the
eginning not to purchase the medi-
me it is likely to be offered to him at
lower prices until he is at
-st induced to believe that he cannot
ford to ignore such bargain. This
carried to such an extent that
treatment" the original price OF
hich is $25, may be offered at the end
six months for $3.50.
As a matter Of fact the successful
eatment of tuberculosis requires
uch more than the mere giving OF
edicine and, moreover, what will help
re case will not necessarily help an
her. Claims that are absolutely UNI
arranted are not longer permitted on
e labels of medicines shipped in in
rstate commerce, but the wording
ay be such as to convey misleading
lpression without the use Of absolute
atements. Thus these preparations
ntinue to find sale despite the fact
at little trouble on the part OF
e prospective purchaser will reveal
cir worthlessness.
The home Of Mr.. and Mrs. W. j.
arren in Bennington was burned on
recent evening, during their absence.
L. f,,rniobip0