Milford chronicle., 1958-01-31
MODERN MEDICINE MEN


MODERN MEDICINE MEN
Despite his villiany, the old-fashioned
medicine man was frequently welcome Wis
itor to the small towns where he stopped
There was something exciting about the fer
vor with which he sold his snake oil, the
wildly extravagant promises he made: ''Whc
will be the first to purchase bottle of this
highly efficaciOus medicine, balm to the suf-
fering, new life to the feeble? A formula
impaired by the mysteries of the East-a
bargain at four times the price"
The coming of the Pure Food and Drug
Acts put an end to the activities of the med
icine man, and it was good riddance. For all
the color he added to the American scene he
did great deal of damage. Yet a recent
news story, datelined Washington, indicated
that the old time charlatan is reappearing
in modern dress.
Federal authorities are investigating the
fraudulent claims of some manufacturers
of patent medicines. These claims range from
promises that you can lose weight without
dieting to assurances that certain pills are
astonishing discoveries for the treatment
of gout, arthritis, and rheumatism"
National advertising groups, made up
of people in the advertising profession with
a high sense of ethics, are cooperating with
federal authorities in stopping such rackets.
There are few more vicious schemes than
those which raise false hopes in the hearts
of people who suffer the fear and pain that
comes with disease
The public, too, can do a great deal to
stop the profits of the phony pill and potion
peddlers. We need not take every claim at
its face value. When there is doubt, simple
check with good doctor can end all guess
work. Those who would endanger peoples
health for the sake of profit are despicable.
We all have a responsibility for stopping
them cold.
~NzeSS<
SOFT AMERICA
The facts never hit the American public
as hard as they have but one out of three
u. S. soldier captured by the Reds in Korea
collaborated with the Communists in some
way
This is the result of a careful check by
authorities and shows weakness, softness
and lack of patriotic indoctrination on the
part of the American infantryman who was
asked to fight for his country in Korea.
This softness was both mental and ply
sical. 1t is known fact that American bows
today are among the softest in the world,
riding around in their automobiles, sitting
in movies and before television sets-rather
than getting out in the open and getting de-
sirable and bodybuilding exercise.
The mental softness, however, might be
harder to correct than the physical defect.
Our infantrymen were thrust into Korea
without proper indoctrination on Commun-
ism and American resistance to it. They were
. not battle-hardened, for the most part, and
had no advance notice that they would be
suddenly committed to fight for their lives
against superior forces of the enemy.
Even so, it is hard to believe that one out
of every three Americans captured collab-
Grated with the enemy. This shows the bru-
tai nature of any war against Communists
in todays world. 1t is warning to us to have
tough, mentally-hardened men ready to fight
in any new emergency.
1t is hint to all souchy, flabby unexer-
cised young men to get into good physical
condition.
BILLBOARD CURBS
President Eisenhower has taken a pos
tive stand for federal legislation to control
the placement of bilboards along the Al 700
miles of interstate highways. His stand en-
courages the forces that will try to get legis-
lation of this nature passed at this session
of Congress.
The President bases his position favor
ing billboard control on the need to insure
safe driving on the high-speed interstate
system. There are many others who take the
position that unrestrained placement of Dill
boards can rob Americans of their heritage
of scenic beauty. There is a measure of truth
in both positions.
Advertising serves an extremely useful
pace in our economy. 1t helps to move goods,
functions as an important link in our mass
production system. What we buy is often
less expensive and of better quality because
of advertising. There is place for billboard
advertising, too.
But in the interest of safety and beauty
certain intelligent restraints seem to be cali
ed for. If the President is wholeheartedly in
back of such restraints there is an excellent