The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-11-06
TO THE EDITOR
FATHER JOHNS MEDICINE.
Lowell, Mass, Oct. 26, 1915.
, Editor OF The Catholic Rulle.

To the Editor of The Catholic Bulle.
tin:
An editorial article in a recent is.
sue of your valuable journal made
comment upon Father Johns Medi-
cine which no doubt gave many of
your readers an impression which is
not entirely warranted by the facts.
If you will allow us to state the facts
as we know them we shall deem it
a favor.
Agents of the Federal Government
seized quantity of Father Johns
Medicine nearly three years. ago in
Philadelphia. bringing suit, as is the
governments custom, charging that
the medicine was not properly labeled,
or, in the governments language, was
misbranded. Representatives of the
company went to Washington several
times and had conferences with Of
ficials having the matter in charge
and endeaVored to learn what was al
lowable. 1t is true that certain claims
made in our printed matter did vio-
late the officials Interpretation of the
law, although we submitted what we
thought competent medical authori-
ties to sustain our position All this
was informal, that is to say, it was
not in court, merely conferences as
to what should be done. We had al
ways been eager to obey the Pure
Food Law, which we regard as one of
great value to the whole people in
protecting them from alcohol and in
furious drugs, which had been put UP
in many alluring DISCUSSES
After our conferences with the gov
eminent officials had extended over a
period of more than two years, and
our labels had been changed SO as to
conform to what we believed the let
ter and spirit Of the law, we decided
to confess judgment pay a nominal
fine with costs rather than be in the
position Of fighting in court a law
which we consider necessary and just.
This was done and the government re-
turned our medicine to us, we merely
giving a bond that it should be re-
labelled before being again offered for
sale.
You will note that the government
never raised any question as to the
purity of Father Johns Medicine, nor
to the story Of Father John O'Brien' S
connection with it in it's early days,
nor as to it's freedom from alcohol or
injurious drugs of any kind In fact,
we have reason to believe that the
u. S. Government officials, as well as
various state Boards of, Health, have
made analysis of the medicine and
found it to contain only what we
claim-pure ingredients.
No doubt, in reading some Of the
newspaper reports of this case many
persons have assumed that the gov
eminent declared the whole story Of
Father Johns Medicine to be a, fabri-
cation. Will you allow us to tell you
the facts? H.
Father John 0'Brien was pastor of
st. Patrick's Church in Lowell, Mass.
He came TO this city after missionary
work in Virginia, where he spent
some years ministering to the wants
of parish which required long rides
on horseback to a rather turbulent
people, many of them openly hostile
and threatening to himself personal
ly and what he represented. His
work in Lowell was not, perhaps, so
wearing as some of his former duties,
but his robust constitution was under
mined and in illness he found benefit
in a prescription which was after
wards to become associated with his
name
This medicine he recommended to
his parishioners; he gave it at his
own expense to the poor, and finally
the demand for it became SO constant
that many persons sent to the apothe-
cary store of Carleton & Hovey in
Lowell where Father john" as he
was known to all, had had it original
ly prepared. They would call for
Father Johns Medicine" and in this
way it became known and was so ad-
vertised in his day with the full ap-
prevail of Father O'Brien himself.
This, in brief, is the history of this
case and of the medicine itself, and
every statement made above can be
substantiated. We are sending this
letter to you for your information, as
your article has convinced us that
you have not understood this case as
we do. If there is any further in
| formation YOU would like, we will
gladly send it to you.
Very respectfully,
CARLETON & HOVEY CO.,
r, g Iro+I,or Tohp,e nTodicipo