New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-24
THE PATENT MEDICINE QUACKS
What of Those Who Prosper Through
Injuring Others?

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: Although 'parcus ct lntrequens
cultor deorum," so far as the pubic
nress is concerned, am moved TO stand
nm and give testimony, as the Methodist
phrase has it. in the matter of medicine
auacks and the dishonesty of adyertis-
ing and practice, which characterize
some of the merchants Of New YORK
civ. and. OF course, elsewhere.
Your courage in going at these people
is admirable and astonishing, Tor your
bold assaults invite lawsuits for dam
aces. But as you have been at TINS
bISIncss for some time and have
failed to see that any Of the frauds
which YOU have so unsparlngly at
tackled have brought actions against
Won. may take il for granted that
your arrangements have been 50 just
that defence was impossible.
However much thousands applaud
YOUR efforts, fear that you Will nave
10 keep them up indefinitely, Tor human
nature is like water.
Moreover. in the matter o. par
gains" things 10 be gotten Tor less
than their value the cupldity OF the
buyer is almost as bad as the un-
sea Ipulousness of the sellers. Each IS
willing to do the other. Inc ouyer
generally gets sold" but departs with
the SNUG satisfaction, entirely unetnl-
cal, that he had gotten more than ne
paid for. I'm this world of moral beings
every transaction between man and
man. must be a transaction on even
terms of Justice and right, or there IS
an injury to character much more cost
Is than any possible injury 10 purse.
In the matter Of quack medicines and
medicinal treatments, | think you are
performing a great and permanent SER
vice. Here laboratory analysis OF an
uounced cures is Hnal judgment. FOR
the last forty years / have been con
WINGED that practically all OF the adver-
tised remedies for human physical Ills
have been swindles. | met two years
ago. az Nantucket, distinguished look
ing man OF great wealth, whose private
Yacht was anchored in the harbor. lie
wa, cruising the New England coast
and living both az home and abroad IN
luxury. His competence had been
gained by selling utterly worthless pei
lets 20 the contiding American people
Out In Ohio in the sixties | remem-
her a great general remedy called Or.
Kerr's Medical Discovery It's once
was in West 4th ST., where the doctor
cat IN state, surrounded by piles OF
medicine in boxes On the fence of an
outlying country graveyard was paint
ed: DIR. Kerr's Medicine VIII Keep
You Out Of This Place" That was too
much. and an inquiry discovered that
this medicine was only bourbon whls-
kew embittered b. some herbs. In
those DAYS. also, plantation Bitters.'
widely advertised, were found 10 be
only rum. But those were only plo-
neers, and since their day the name Of
those preying OF the public is legion.
They make large money, build up great
estates, and. dying, leave their money
70 their children, who only vaguely rea-
lie that their fathers were utterly dis
graceful men. who lost their own souls
in swindling the public.
However these things may be, let me
ask II our great newspapers are always
candid in their treatment OF the public.
This is surely no diversion against The
Tribune, but an inquiry as TO the can
dor OF the editorials OF our great
American journals 10 which we so con-
hdently look for true guidance. The
public press is AN organ Of incalculable
power. If II poisons the mind is IL no,
more reprehensible than those who poi
son the body or deplete the pocketbok?
EDWARD VI. MGUFFEY.
st. James's Church, Elmhurst, y. Y,
Jan. Do, 1915.