East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1916-08-07
FRAUDULENT "CURES" FOR
INFANTILE PARALYSIS
Food and Drug Inspectors In
structed to Watch Ship
ments.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Aug. s.
Officials of the department of agrl-
culture charged with the enforcement
Of the food and drugs act expect that
the outbreak of infantile paralysis
/ will tempt unscrupulous persons tol
offer for sale so-called cures or
remedies for this dread malady. They
! therefore. have issued special instruc-
/ tions TO the food and drug inspectors
/ to be particularly alert for interstate
shipments or importations of medi-
Cines, the makers OF which allese
| that they will cure or alleviate this
disease. for which, at the present
time. no medicinal cure is known. The
officials also warn the public that
any preparation put on the market
and offered for sale as being effec-
tive for the treatment Of infantIe
PARALYSIS should be looked upon with
extreme suspicion. inspectors ac-
cordingIy, have been instructed TO re-
gard as suspicious, and to collect sam
pies of, all medicines in interstate
commerce for which such claims are
made Makers of such fraudulent
remedies will be vigorously prosecut-
ed whenever the evidence warrants
: action under the Sherry amendment
to the food and drugs act. So-called
remedies for infantile paralysis
! which are offered for import intu
the country will be denied entry.
The food and drugs officials are
particularly watChful in this instance
: because it has been noted in the past
4 that whenever a serious epidemic eX-
: lists unscrupulous dealers prey upon
the fear or ignorance of the public
; by flooding the market with worth
less, hastily prepared connections
r for which they assert curative prop
critics which have no foundation
a whatever in fact. In the present in
stance inspectors already have dis
e covered shipments Of few such mix
/ lures.
The department VIII do everyth.ns
/ il can under federai Jaw to protec
that portion of the public which il
Z extremely creduous in times Of pan
ic and which will grasp at anythin'
which promises protection or relief
The sale OF such products at thi
time the officials point out, is par
ticularly Threatening 20 the publ
health because many persons, rely
Il ing on the false statements of i'm
X posters, neglect to secure competeh
: medical advice. As a result, not onl
= is the safety of the patient endan
y gered, but in the absence of propo
l. sanitary precautions, the likellhoo
of contagion Is greatly increased.
1t must be understood, however
that the federal food and drugs ac
D applies only to products which ar
shipped in interstate commerce. tha
II is from one state to another, q
= which are offered for import or eN
8 port or which are manufactured q
Al sold within a territory or the Distric
Of Columbia. Products which al
ie made and consumed wholly within
n single state are subject only to sue
u state laws as may apply and are ur
% der the control only of state healt
II officials The federal law does M
IL apply, for instance, to patent med
cines made within the state of Ne
York and sold in New York cit
Persons buying or using a ''remedy
made in their own state, therefor
= must rely on the protection aecorde
~ them by their local health authoritie