The Detroit times., 1915-09-20
The Cost Of Credulity
81 n. ApDINoToN BRUCE,
Autho, Of THE Riddle of Personality.
Psychology and Parenthood.' etc.

The habit OF taking things for granted. Of ac'
ccpting the statements or others without STOP
ping TO consider the grounds on which they are
based. is one oi the commonest failings oil man
Kind. .
IL also Is one OF the costhest failings It's
cost is measured rot merely In doAxrs An@
cents. but In HUMAN LIFE.
As | write. there lies before me mass OF
booklets which / have recently received from
the American Medical association. These con
stitute pathetic. an appalling PROOF pom VI
the tendency OF men to be unduiy creuuious
even in matters affecting their very existence
and OF the fearful penalty their creduiity may
bring upon them.
In DEAL the booklets describe the fraudu'
lent practices ei vnudera- Of nostrums Tor dis
eases Many of the diseases in question are
maladies for which MEDICAL SCIENCE HAS
AS YET DISCOVERED NO DRUG THAT ACTS
AS AN UNFAllANG REMEDY Ihey are hald'
dies which at present can be attacked success
fully orly by surgery, dieting. hygienic meas
ures, the giving OF tonics. alternatives etc
In some instances notably cancer ana con.
sumntion-they are diseases which must be
Tins treat ed ~ THEIR EARLY STAGES If they
are TO be successfully treated at all.
This is matter of common knowledge IL
has been emphasized for years by medlcai ana
Law writer's i'm newspapers, magazines ana DOCKS
Yet relying on the widespread tendency 10
crodulity, the swindling seller OF nostrums polo'
" proclalms his cheap connections 10 DC sure
cIIrcs' puts nigh price on tftfii' anu con
hdently awaits the response the malls VIII bring
him.
His confidence is not misplaced. Unless
nromptIy EXPOSED and silenced. he is almost Ger
tain TO arnass fortune. Too often II is Tor
tune that Is blood money in the truest sense
The blind faith put in the nostrum by the
credulous persons who use H. causes them to
neglect the surgical or other scientific treat
ment that really is their only hope.
They continue to send in their dollars. Per-
haps In a moment Of temporary Improvement
they also send glowing testimonials Too late
they are forced 10 acknowledge TO themselves
m haNp deceived
Long after they are dead from the disease
the nostrum was supposed 10 cure the testi.
monials they have written in flush of mis-
placed enthusiasm may be used to lure other
victims to their doom.
Today, thanks 10 go crowing determination
OF responsible ncwsp and magazines 10 re-
iect deaf h-dealng ao. easements, the sure
cure" faker Is less pernicously in evidence
He also Is being scotchcd BY the circulation ~
literature similar 10 the American Medical A
sociation booklets now before me- information
concerning which shall be glad TO send 10 any
reader who enCloses n stamped and addrcs "a
envelope.
But important though these protective meas.
ures are, they not what Is chiefly needed
Tho great need is for EDUCATIONAL RE
FORMS that viii render men and women as a
class less credulous than they now are.
Tho nostrum vendcr is by means the only
vampire battcnng on human credulity. To blot
out bin and his pestiferous comrades people
must ne taught, FROM THEIR EARLIEST
CHILDHOOD, TO make better OF their rea.
soning powers. and In especial to develop THE
HABIT or CAREFULLY PONDERlNG EVERY.
THING THAT VITALITY AFFECTS THEIR
PERSONAL. WELFARE.
Thus and only thus. can the sure cure" and
get rich quick" impostors be completely baffled.