Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-28

That much hunted and bounded pet
of the trainers of the Constitution of
the United States, Personal Liberty. Is
being beset from new quarter, &C.
cording to the patent medicine indus
try, one OF the most ancient and pic
tureeque OF American branches OF COM
mercial activity. The industry Il warn
Sam Is stalking Personal Liberty this
time by limiting the right of citizens
% prescribe for themselves in case Of
illness, or, at least, Of symptoms.
1t scarcely can be gainsaid that q
suggestion of self-interest is to be de-
tected in the fact that the warming
comes from the people who are making
patent medicines, but II they are not
interested and informed on the matter,
who would be?
General interest among both the
hale and ailing may be found in the
circumstance that the game of drag
ging Old Man Personal Liberty into
any argument still Is going on. Nor Is
the fact that q new round In the long
drawn-out battle between the patent
medicine men and officials in charge
OF Federal regulatory statutes has been
commenced devoid Of interest.
Many Medicines on Market.
An amazing number Of proprietary
remedies, or patent. medicines, Is they
are more generally known, are on the
American market. Moreover. an amaz-
ing number OF persons use them. Pat
ent medicine Is intricate'y entwined
with American history. SO many are
the Ills of man and so credulous and
hopeful are the aIlinG that medicine
seems a part of most lives. The priests
OF primitive peoples are called medi-
fl,,
SHIPPED; at least they are regarded as
vicegerents Of the strange gods they
serve.
Not unnaturally, pioneer Americans,
coming into contact with the North
| American Indians and finding active
survivals Of the medicine men who once
occupied similar sway in Europe, made
capital out OF the situation. Many In
dians were, by long observation, ex-
perience and tribal tradition, skilled
in the selection and compromising of
herbs and simples, Just as were me-
dieval magicians in Europe. Obtaining
the secrets Of these, or pretending to,
many An early American adventurer
made his living, II not fortune, by
hawking preparations based on these
origins.
Right here in America, where few
drug stores existed and few doctors, was
ready market, LOT people, even plo-
neers. will buy almost any kind OF
medicine. Better still discoveries OF
these marvellous new.old Indian RENE
dies thrilled jaded Europe to new hope
It was the day Of the pack-peddler here
and abroad How many fortunes were
started by these first remedies cannot
be stated, but they were not incon-
siderable In number.
Versatile Medicine Man.
There Is an entire period of American
history decorated by the presence of the
itinerant, adventurous pioneer patent
medicine peddler. He doubled, often
in religion as well as in brass. In
vide brimfned hat, flowing, gold-but-
toned coat, with walrtls r1ustache and
q gift Of oratory, he set up his booth at
every county fair, he peddled from farm
to farm In the countryside and from
door to door in the villages. On Sun
days, were pulpit empty, and in those
circuit.riding days many often were
he would undertake to preach the Word
Not seldom he did so with eloquence
and earneStness.
Many OF the early itinerants had
real Indians As q part of their stage
properties to assist In selling the medi-
cine, whatever it was-good for man
and beast. Some went the length OF
adding a miniature circus; q dancing
bear, perhaps; an acrobat and cortor-