New-York tribune., 1917-08-19

and in furtherance of clean and there
fore lasting and profitable business
methods, TO comply with the letter and
spirit of the above regulations.
Mark the ingenious wording OF the
Health Department certificate. 1t says
nothing which could be construed as or
twisted to imply an Endorsement of eY-
listing nostrums against which no taboo
has been issued. 1t merely assures the
local trade that for a time there is no
intention Of disturbing these prepare
tions. But if any of them should
change its formula or should m
dulge in new and unfounded claims
it would become liable to the ban.
For example, suppose there should be
an outbreak of typhus in Cleveland,
and. some preparation which had been
exploited merely as a good tonic and
upbuilder should splurge out in local
newspaper advertising with claims to
be a cure or preventive of typhus; that
would constitute & reason for action by
the department, in conjunction with
the committee.
Brashness Of this sort got "HulPs Su-
perlative Compound" into difficulties in
Cleveland. Not content, with recon-
mending their concoction of alcohol (25
per cent?, cinchona and laxative for
consumption, Bright's disease, the COM
plexion, jaundice and fits, the A. j.
Hull Medical Company sought to capi-
tallze public alarm in advance of the in
fantile paralysis outbreak which it evil
IDENTIFY expected in Cleveland, by adver-
tising its curative virtues in this dread
ed disease. The expected outbreak
didn't occur. II it had, Mr.. Hull
wouldn't have been there to profit by
it, for his preparation was "put on the
carpet" and promptly banned.
In pioneer work Of this kind there is
the prevalent temptation to move along
the line of least resistance and attack
the little fellow, letting the big con-
cern alone "until later"-which period
frequently falls off the calendar COM
pletely. They don't do it that way in
Cleveland. Instead, they picked the
very biggest game in the whole patent
medicine jungle, Swamp Root, and put
it out Of business locally. II there is
another city in the United States where
Swamp Root cannot be obtained ! have
yet to learn of it.. Drug stores there
are in many cities which will not sell
this nostrum, nor, indeed, any of the
fraudulent concoctions which purport
to cure serious diseases. But in no
other city is the public protected
against the fake claims urged in the
newspapers By concerted refusal on
the part of the druggists to dole out
this sweetened booze to kidney suf-
ferers. Ask for it in any of the Cleve-
land pharmacies and copy of the mis-
branding order will be shown to you.
And the misbranding order is tartar.
1t does not mince words, but declares
out and out that "Kilmer's Swamp Root
has been examined by this department
and found to be a misbranded drug
within the meaning of the Ohio law, in
that package contains false and mis-
leading statements as to the thera-
peutic actions of this drug. This de-
partment finds that this drug would
not only be ineffective against the all
ments which it is alleged to benefit, but
in some cases its use may be absolute
ly dangerous"
Not only this, but Commissioner OF
Health Bishop, in his official publica-
ton, describes Swamp Root as "a dilute
alcohol-water solution of sugars, and
absolutely injurious in the case Of some
kidney disorders which it processes to
cure" A serious charge, this, and GER
tainly libellous if untrue. And the is
sue is clear. If Swamp Root is what it
purports to be, a sterling remedy for
kidney troubles, if it is not fraudu-
lent and dangerous concoctiOn Of sub
stances which will actually aid the prog
ress of the diseases for which it is rec
ommended, then it can ask for no bet
ter opportunity to prove its case than
this against the Cleveland Health De-
partment. What has it actually done?
Nothing, other than to assure the local
drug trade that if they will but con-
tinue to sell Swamp Root, it will back
them in any trouble with the authori-
ties. That is the tried and proven
method of the quack medicine manu-
facturer. He won't fight. himself. be-
cause that would bring him and his
methods into the open. But he'll try
to get some one else to do the fight
ing for him. The newspapers used to
be his hired Cor buldozed) mercena-
ries, whom he controlled under the lash
of his "red clause" advertising con-
tract. Few publications now are so
bankrupt in decency as to do this dirty
work Of quackery. So the nostrum
maker has no one to fall back on but
the druggist. In Cleveland he might as
comfortably fall back on a spike.
OF half dozen leading druggists with
whom I talked, not one had any sym
pathy for the fraudulent manufacturers
in their present trouble.
"Why should we pull chestnuts out
Of the fire for them?" said one. "Most
of us men here never liked that trade
anyway. We welcome the chance to
clean the stuff of the shelves"
uI -. A.. .,,n,faot,rara act oaid