West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1915-04-22
TUBERCULOSIS REMEDIES
THAT ARE WORTHLESS
No Real Gore Possible from Any
OF the Patent Preparations In
vestigated by Government Scicn-
tist-All Contain Drugs That arc
Harmful

WASHINGTON. ID. c.. April 19.--
After investigating under the food and
drugs act large number OF prepara-
lions advertised as consumption cures
the department of agriculture has not
been able to discover any thnt-eS in'
any sense be regarded as "cures" for
tuberculosis. Some contain drugs
that may at times afford some tenn
porary relief from tho distressing
symptoms of the disease but this Is
all Since the passage OF federal leg
islation prohibiting the shipment I'm
interstate commerce OF medicinal
preparations for which false and
fraudulent claims are made. there has
been marked tendency to label
these preparation remedies" instead
OF cures" or "infallible cures" as
they used To be called. In many cases.
however. they can not even be regards
cd as remedies.
A Cherry balsam," for example. for
'he cure of consumption" and
'hemorrhago of the lungs" which it
was represented would strike at the
very root OF the disease" was found
on analysis to be nothing but solu-
ton I'm water and alcohol of opium.
sugar, benzaldehyde, inorganic salts
ana coloring matter. lt contained no
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, tho medicine
proper. the essential ingredients OF
which were found to be morphine. Gin
mamie acid and arsenic--not a very
safe mixture to take habitually; sec
ond. tonic which was supposed 10
contain iron but did not: third. a
cough mixture" made up OF alcohol.
chloroform and codeine which is de-
rivatiye OF opium or morphine:
fourth. mixture which contained
some quinino. and n solution OF water
and alcohol; and fifth, codeine tab
lets. Even the strongest constitution
could hardly stand prolonged course
OF such a treatment.
In the marketing OF such pre,j4rfn|
tions considerable ingenuity IA fre-
quently shown. One OF the main OBJ
1ects is to persuade the patient that
ne is receiving, at n comparatively
low price, the Individual attention of a
trained specialist. For this purpose
symptom blanks are employed. These
contain number OF questions about
the patients symptoms, the number
varying from dozen or 80 to as MANY
as 40 or 80. The patient is led TO be-
lleve that the information which he
furnishes in reply to these questions
VIII be carefully considered before any
medicine Is prescribed for him.
though every physician knows that
an accurate diagnosis cannot possibly
be made In this way. AS a matter of
iact none is attempted and the degree
OF attention which these individual
reports receive can be measured by
the tact that cases have come under
the observation OF the department In
which mail order concerns doing a
business of this kind have received an
many as 1000 letters q day.
After the patient has submitted his
diagnosis report he is urged TO pur-
chase a supply of the medicine. If he
does so, he is then urged to purchase
more. If he states that he has ex-
perienced no beneficial effects he is
told that he has not taken enough, and
this process is likely to continue until
the limits OF his credulity have been
reached. IT, on the other hand, he
decides at the beginning not to pur-
chase the medicine Il is likely TO be
offered to him 20 succesaiveiy lower
prices until he is at last fMuced TO
believe that he cannot afford to ignore
such a bargain. This is carried 10
such an extent that treatment the
original price Of which is SIS, may be
offered at the end of six months for
$3.50.
AS matter OF fact the successful
treatment Of tuberculosis REQUIRES
much more than the mere giving Of
medicine and moreover, what will
help one case will not necessarily
help another. Claims that are abso-
lutely unwarranted arc no longer per-
mitted on the labels OF medicine ship
ped in interstate commerce, but the
wording may be such as to convey a
misleading impression without the
use of absolute statements. Thus these
preparations continue to find a sale
despite the fact that a little trouble
ON the part Of the prospective pur-
chaser will reveal their worthIessuess.