Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-28
Personal Liberty Beset Again
BY FREDERIC J. HASKlN.

zionist; and q strong man who would
lift oxen and also challenge all corners
to physical encounter for q money prize
All doubled in brass to form q small
band. They paraded the streets and
were, in sense, the forerunners Of
the modern circus and the theater,
They were the forerunners, more par
ticularly. Of the great proprietary medi-
cine companies which today are warm
ing US that Personal Liberty again u
under attack.
The cry does not come strangely from
this curiously descended progeny. Those
days of the itinerant sellers Of patent
medicine were days when personal
liberty meant something. People did
not split hairs over the difference be-
tween liberty and license Liberty con-
sisted OF everything you could get away
Wtn-lnciuding life and the pursuit
OF happiness. They we're among those
good old days" so often referred to
az late hours among convivial COM
pany.
Out Of the enterprise and the compe-
tition OF the peddlers grew the statutes
providing for the protection by law
OF the various formulate. A medicine.
as well as machine, might be patented
and become the sole property OF any in
dividual or corporation. This was an
nltiai road upon personal liberty in
That 1t provided penalties for pirating
competitors mixture.
Pure Food Act Came Next.
Next, and most Importantly, came
the pure food and drugs act. A ire
mendous battle was staged over that
legislation when 1t pended in Congress.
especially over that part dealing with
| ~
cines. This was an encroachment on
the rights OF the patent medicine maxi
ers 70 sell anything they could find
customers for, and it was ALWAYS DOS
sible to ind customers for any sort of
medicine provided 1t contained a suf-
nciently. large proportion Of an ingre-
dent that would give It the tonic
properties calculated to inspire q testi-
| monial.
But the Government began internret-
ing the pure food and drugs act with
| q certain amount OF latitudinarianism
| VI course, too, amendments were add
ca TO strengthen the law from time to
Time. FOR example, the element Of mis-
branding entered. No longer was IL
possible TO advertise and brand q
patent medicine as efficacious in the
treatment OF everything from house.
maids knee to heresy or hernia.
The Government invaded the personal
liberty OF statements heretofore en-
Joyed by proprietaries by making tests
ana determining whether or not certain
medicines could corceivably cure given
ailments. In q great many cases It was
found that the medicines might cheer
up the patient temporarily, but lacked
the healing powers ascribed BY the
proprietorS.
Governments Little List.
:, Now the position Is that a definite
ilSt OF ailments has been drawn IN
by the Federal authorities as recurring
specinc treatment by q physician and
not amenable to patent medicines. Al
soon as an infirmity Is placed on thie
list, 1t becomes contrary to law for a
patent medicine to claim that Il pro-
Woes cure. Examples ate cancer. In.
nuenza. pneumonia, tuberculosis. dia-
peIes, Brights disease and the like.
Tns industry defines this freshly az
sresSlve policy as new attack upon
the right Of q citizen to diaenose h;s
own case and prescribe his own remedy
with the aid Of book of SYMPTOMS.
Sucn as may be found In the literatllre
OF many patent medicine sellers and in
the almanac. Pains in thu. back. specks
BEFORE the eyes, fatigue after work. and
Sucn danger signs Watch outI THE
law Is after poor old Personal Liberty