Williston graphic., 1916-12-07
ASKS FOR MEASURE
TO PROTECT PUBLIC
LADD'S BULLETIN PROVES NEED
REGISTRATION OF PATENT
MEDICINES

AVN GIL PdtcIlt uculClHcS are lanes,
but large number of those adver-
tised are fakes of the worst kind.
Secrecy makes it possible to mis-
lead and deceive the public.
Charlatans and quacks reap tre-
nendous wealth through their ability
to persuade the public to buy their
fake rotions.
Dr. Ladd asks the adoption by
North Dakota of a registration act
similar to that for the Registration of
beverages.
He lists over 500 patents analyz-
ed by the North Dakota pune food
department, and finds that many of
them are frauds of the worst kind;
many are poisonous; others are
harmless, and still others are made
OF cheap products on which the man.
ufacturers reap tremendous profits.
Seventy per cent of the so-called
patent medicines or nostrums found
On the shelves of the average drug
stores are practically worthless or are
simply fakes and means Of draw
;ng money from suffering humanity
without giving any real benefit.
That assertion is made by DR.. f.
T. Ladd, pure food commissioner and
president of the North Dakota Agri-
cultural college, in a bulletin just is
| sued
Dr.. Ladd lists, in his bulletin,
total of over 600 preparations, from
cough medicines to face powder, and
| in each instance, he reveals the actual
ingredients that 60 to make up the
so-caled "medicine," with such ap-
! pended remarks as "fraud," "poison,"
| harmless" "has no real value" or
improperly labeled" and a group of
others equally indicative of the ac-
| tual contents of the nostrum.
| WOnderous Faith
| Because some man advertises that
N far away Africa, South America,
Mexico, or some missionary in India,
, n some heather tribe of cannibals in
i, Interior New Zealand, has remedy
It is sure aure," it is sufficient
basis for many people to believe that
these products are possessed of great
| virtue and will ensure cure for the
ailments from which they are suffer
ers. Usually, the most of the nos
trums so advertised are worthless
preparations" says DR.. Ladd.
Secrecy makes it possible to mis-
lead and deceive the public Because
I preparation is secret, unknown in
composition to the public, it must
possess some virtues or there would
be no need to keep it secret, seems
to be the thought of many. This
nables those eharlatans who desire
10 do so, those quack physicians, those
failures in every walk of life, gifted
with ability to persuade the public
INTO purchasing their wares, to take
ome old preparation, some discred;t-
ed drug, or some common remedy and
'sploit it under a faneiful name, or
to become the plant tool, stool pig
con- for some long-faced hypocrite
and perhaps accumulate great
wealth, for there are scores who
have thus succeeded. The patent
medicine industry with all it's fakes
and quackery dies hard.
.--.-::... There is No '"Cure-Al"
There is no 'cure-all or shot gun
remedy, and there are many diseases
that are recognized by our best phv
slciars as being, so far as any known
medicine is concerned. incurable, and
50 far as is known to the ablest phv-
slclans of our time. Then, why do
we expect that some ignorant, litter
ate vendor of drugs, some unsuccessful
horse doctor, or a 1pa'k. should make
a discovery that is going to prove a
'cure-all for suffering humanity"
Until every ros:lum and pate:,;
medicine carries a label that shows
the true composition of the same, we
shall have fraud and deceptive prac-
tice; we shall trade upon i'll health
and the suffering Of humanity that a
few may profit by the injury to those
who should have the best advices and
guidance that can come from medical
skill.
II have no sympathy with that
bunch of patent medicine vendors,
quacks, and nostrum agents who
swarm our state, invade the halls Of
legislation, influence the newspapers
through their advertising columns,
and thus deliberately deceive and mis-
lead the people; but there can be no
.elief until public sentiment demands
that there be honesty and decency in
the sale of this class of products or
in the practice of quacks who now
thrive, all too plentifully, not through
rnorance but through lack Of cour-
ge for what is known to be right:
"North Dakota is. now tolerably
free from adulterated food products
Injurious forms of adulteration have
been driven out. Our food law has
been efficient for the purpose. The
drugs dispensed in the drugstores
are vastly improved. Spurious whls-,
kies are no longer generally found
in the state. Our beverages. pops, |
sodas,- ETC., while not always to. be
commended for continuous drinking,
contain no harmful ingredients.
No State Has Protection
"Not state in the union thus far
has a law that can cope with these |
Shall they continue to
be the master, or shall we have laws |
tha will force the fraudulent prepara-
tions off the market and afford proper
protection to those which might have
:, place in the home? Public sentl- !
ment must determine what shall ne
done. The food department OF North
Dakota asks that there be enacted
w which shall do for patent medi-
cine and dishonest quackery what has
Continued on page 81