Evening star., 1925-05-26
PATENT MEDICINES
AS BEVERAGES HIT
Medical Association Told
Many Are Used as
Alcoholic Drinks.
5y the Associated Press.

ATLANTIC CITY, y. j., May 20
Desplte the fact that rum row is un-
hergolng the most successful blockade
since prohibition, the Government is
permitting alcohol users to obtain
their daily nip, DR.. Arthur j. Cramp
OF Chicago told today's session of the
annual convention of the American
Medical Association here.
Dr. Cramp is director of the asso-
cations bureau of investigation. He
sald that while there is tendency to
decrease the alcoholic content of wide
~ advertised patented medicines, the
percentages are so high that they can
be and are being used for beverage
purposes. While the Government is
spending millions to prevent the SNUG
Cling of liquor. it is overlooking this
source of supply right within it's bor-
uerS, he asserted.
New Medicines Produced.
Not only do some of the older patent
medicines, such as "BitterS" and those
Tor feminine patients still contain a
hlSh percentage of alcohol, but there
were some entirely new patented ar
tlcles on the market, sold by the case
IN competition with unmedicated
liquors. which contain much alcohol
ana little drugs, said DIR. Camp. Tests
nave demonstrated that these new
medicines do not contain enough drugs
TO prevent their use for beverage pur-
poses.
The American Medical Associa-
ton" he continued. naturally frowns
upon this Use of such medicines.
whether or not alcohol is good as a
med1clne is not under discussion.
There is a difference of opinion on
that subject. but if alcohol is so dan
Serous drug as to be prohibited by
law to be used for beverage purposes,
1t is too dangerous to be put into pat
ent medicines to be sold as beverages.
And If there is an increase in the con-
sumption of 'Bitters' it is a Govern
ment problem"
Urges Wide Publicity
DR.. Frederick c. Warnshuis of
Grand Rapids. speaking in the house
of delegates. the session of which pre-
ceded the formal opening of the con-
vention, advocated wide publicity for
scientific medicine as the most eff
fective means of fighting fads, cults
and fallacieS.
The purpose of this publicity" he
said, lis not to further their individ-
ual and selfish ends that they may
profit and obtain financial revenue
solely for themselves. On the con-
trary, the public suffers and is de-
medicine has no secrets that it with
holds. That which benefits the public
benefits US"
The denial of the right of employees
to choose their own physicians in in
dustrial cases was condemned by DIR.
William ID. Haggard, president elect
of the American Medical Association,
speaking before the house of dele
gates.
rTb;s ax-oo+;o,, -, ~ ,,oA. s ;S
trial insurance companies, DR.. Hag-
gard said. was a. step leading toward
State medicine.
The speaker advocated that the
house of delegates, the legislative body
of the National Association, make an
effort to curtail the length of medical
education at the present time.
Urges Disaster Aid Free.
DR. William Allen Posey of Chicago.
retiring president, presented a reso-
luton proposing to establish a perma-
nent organization of physicians in the
United States to give medical treat
ment free in time of disaster in con-
junction with the American Red
Cross, which would supply the food
and other necessities.
Volstead act provisions which would
prohibit a physician from prescribing
more than one pint of whisky to a
patient in 10 days were protested by
DIR. T. c. Chalmers of New York. In
a resolution he proposed an amend
ment to the act which would enable
a physician to prescribe the amount
of alcohol he deemed necessary.
The appointment of a special COM
mittee to investigate the possibility
of securing an international agree
ment on the restriction of the trade in
narcotics was advocated in another
resolution.
The Bell Telephone Co. is requested
in another resolution to list only Ii
censed physicians under the heading
of "Physicians and Surgeons" in the
telephone directories. This is a drive
against limited" physicians, or osteo-
paths and chiropractors.
National legislation to regulate the
practice of the healing arts" by any
person is being sought by Benjamin
M. Holden, a lawyer of Hartford,
Conn, who is attending the conven-
ton and who was largely instrumental
in exposing the fake medical diploma
mills in Connecticut several months
ago.