The Propaganda for Reform in Proprietary Medicines, Vol. 1 of 2

Part Iv. Contributions From the Journal: Miscellany

REPRINTED FROM THE JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION

PREFACE

From time to time The Journal of the American Medical Association has published the reports of the Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry and the Chemical Laboratory, as well as other matter on proprietary medicines. Repeated requests for some of the matter have led to the compilation of “The Propaganda for Reform in Proprietary Medicines,” which, in the present volume, attains its ninth edition.

The seventh, eighth and ninth editions have been compiled on slightly different principles from their predecessors. The therapeutic reform work of The Journal and of the Association’s Chemical Laboratory was at first confined almost entirely to the criticism and analysis of the so-called ethical proprietaries. This was right; the medical profession owed it to the public to combat the nostrum evil within its own ranks.

As the more flagrant evils of the “ethical proprietary” question were mitigated, the Association has turned the light on the more widespread and dangerous “patent medicine” evil. The articles devoted to “patent medicines” or quackery being naturally of greater interest to the general public than to the medical profession, the number of inquiries from laymen regarding various quacks and nostrums has steadily increased. It has been thought best, therefore, to publish separately all of the matter from The Journal relative to quackery and to those nostrums exploited only or chiefly to the public, and to include in the Propaganda for Reform practically none of the matter that is of direct interest primarily to laymen. In one or two instances in which the subjects were of equal interest to the profession and to the public matter that has already appeared in “Nostrums and Quackery” is also given here; but as a general rule the contents of the ninth edition of “The Propaganda for Reform” are of strictly professional interest. Those physicians who are desirous of obtaining in convenient form the matter dealing with “patent medicines” should order the book “Nostrums and Quackery” or the various pamphlets on the same subjects that have been issued since “Nostrums and Quackery” came from the press.

This matter appears in “Nostrums and Quackery,” a 700-page book, and also in various pamphlets. Write for the descriptive price-list of publications dealing with the nostrum evil.

The ninth edition of “Propaganda for Reform” contains a number of new articles, greatly increasing the size of the book. It also contains one novel feature which greatly enhances its value. The index includes references not only to articles in the book, but also to matter on proprietaries not accepted by the Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry which appeared in The Journal of the American Medical Association and elsewhere. This index makes of this edition of “Propaganda for Reform” a very full work of reference on proprietaries which are undeserving of recognition. It should be understood, however, that not all articles indexed are condemned; some are merely discussed and compared.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Part I: Council Reports

PAGE

Acetanilid Mixtures 9

Agar-Lac 10

Anasarcin and Anedemin 11

Maignen Antiseptic Powder 19

Tyree’s Antiseptic Powder 21

Apergels 26

Aseptikons 26

Betul-Ol 27

Peacock’s Bromides and Chionia 28

Bromidia 31

Cactus Grandiflorus 36

Calcreose 40

Campho-Phenique 40

Celerina, Aletris Cordial and Kennedy’s Pinus Canadensis, Light and Dark 43

Cineraria Maritima 49

Hagee’s Cordial of the Extract of Cod Liver Oil Compound 51

Wampole’s Perfected and Tasteless Preparation of an Extract of Cod Liver 52

Waterbury’s Metabolized Cod-Liver Oil Compound 54

Waterbury’s Compound 57

Colchi-Sal 58

Cypridol Capsules 59

Cystogen, Cystogen Aperient and Cystogen-Lithia 60

Cysto-Sedative 61

Taka-Diastase and Liquid Taka-Diastase 62

Digalen Omitted from N. N. R. 68

Dioradin Refused Recognition 73

Echinacea 79

Echtisia, Ecthol and Echitone 81

Ergoapiol 82

Erpiol (Dr. Schrader) 83

False Unicorn (Helonias) 84

Formurol 85

Gastrogen Tablets 87

Glyco-Heroin, Smith 88

Glyco-Thymoline 92

Glycozone 95

Gardner’s Syrup of Hydriodic Acid 97

Hyperol 100

Ingluvin 101

Intestinal Antiseptic W-A 103

Bannerman’s Intravenous Solution 105

Iodalia 106

Iodex 107

Iodia 108

Burnham’s Soluble Iodine 110

Iodotone 113

Iosaline 113

Nourry Wine 115

Labordine 115

Lactobacilline Omitted from N. N. R. 120

Reexamination of Lactopeptine 121

Meat and Beef Juices 123

Valentine’s Meat Juice 129

Medicinal Foods 131

Migrainin 135

Neurilla 136

Neurosine, Dioviburnia, Germiletum and Palpebrine 139

Oxychlorine 147

Pam-Ala, Another Worthless Quinin Substitute 149

Papayans Bell 151

Passiflora and Daniel’s Concentrated Tincture of Passiflora 156

Liquid Combinations Containing Pepsin and Pancreatin 157

Pepto-Mangan (Gude) 159

Liquid Petrolatum or “Russian Mineral Oil” 161

Clinical Experience with Liquid Paraffin (Liquid Petrolatum) 167

Angier’s Emulsion 169

Phecolates, Phecolax, Phecozymes and Phecotones 174

Phenol Sodique 175

Phytin and Fortossan 178

Prunoids 178

Sal Hepatica 179

Sanmetto 182

Secretogen 185

Sinkina 188

Somnos 193

Succus Alterans 195

Sulpho-Lythin 196

Taurocol 198

Tri-Iodides, Three Chlorides and Maizo-Lithium 198

Thialion 205

Unguentum Selenio Vanadic (V. Roemer) 207

Unicorn Root, Wild Yam and Wild Indigo 208

Proprietary Vanadium Preparations 209

Venarsen 212

Venodine 214

Veracolate 216

Hayden’s Viburnum Compound 218

Vin Mariani 221

Virol 225

Part Ii: Contributions From the Chemical Laboratory

Anusol Hemorrhoidal Suppositories 227

Aromatic Digestive Tablets 229

Burnham’s Soluble Iodin 233

“Hydrocyanate of Iron-Tilden” 235

Hymosa 238

Micajah’s Medicated Uterine Wafers 240

Noitol and Anadol 245

Pix Cresol 247

Saliodin 249

Theobromin Sodium Salicylate Versus “Diuretin”; The Economical Aspect 251

Unguentine 254

Uricedin 256

Uriseptin 256

Zemacol 259

Zyme-Oid 261

Part Iii: Contributions From the Journal: Nostrums

Alleotone 264

Baume Analgésique Bengué 267

Antidiabeticum-Bauer 267

Antikamnia 268

Anusol Suppositories 280

Aspiro-Lithine 281

Bell-Ans (Pa-Pay-Ans, Bell) 282

Biosol 284

Bromin-Iodin Compound 285

Calmine 286

Camphenol 287

Chologen 288

Hagee’s Cordial of Cod-Liver Oil 289

Waterbury’s Compound Once More 291

Collyrium-Wyeth 292

Diatussin 293

Enteronol 294

Expurgo (Sanol) Anti-Diabetes 299

Formamint 303

Gomenol 304

Headache Cures 305

Hectine 308

Hydronaphthol 308

Hydrozone 309

Hypoquinidol 310

Iodonucleoid 310

Iridium 312

Iron Tropon 313

Kutnow’s Powder 314

Lymph Compound R-H and Orchitic Fluid Tablets 317

Lysol--The Evolution of a Proprietary 318

Thompson’s Malted Food Company 319

Manola 323

Mercol 326

Midol and Nurito 327

Mu-col 329

Narkine 329

Papine 330

Pasadyne 332

Pas-Avena 333

Pertussin 334

Phenalgin--A Typical Example 335

Pheno-Bromate 343

Phenolphthalein 343

Mixed Vaccine and Phylacogens 346

The Danger in Protonuclein, a Preparation Containing Thyroid 348

Purgen 349

Pyo-Atoxin 350

Resinol 352

Resor-Bisnol 353

Robinol and Sevetol 353

Salacetin 356

Sal-Codeia-Bell 357

Sanatogen 358

Sanatogen: a Scientific Investigation of Its Alleged Action on the Recuperating Powers of the Blood 378

The Feeding Value of Sanatogen Compared with Commercial Casein with Respect to Maintenance and Growth 385

Poehl’s Spermin in Arteriosclerosis 395

Syrup of Cocillana Compound 396

Aubergier’s Syrup of Lactucarium 399

Tartarlithine 401

Thoxos 402

Trypsogen 403

Tyree’s Antiseptic Powder 404

Vapo-Cresolene 408

Vasogen and Iodovasogen 408

Viburnum Compound--and other Nostrums 409

Wheeler’s Nerve Vitalizer 411

Zymotoid 412

Part Iv: Contributions From the Journal: Miscellaneous Matter

Acetphenetidin and Phenacetin--Their Relative Purity 414

Clean Advertising 418

Lippincott’s Magazine 419

Medical Journal Advertising 422

Medical Journals and the Great American Fraud 426

The Army and Navy Medical Record 432

The Medical Times Advertisements 438

Cause for Optimism 440

The Comparative Nutrient Value of Cod Liver Oil and Cod Liver Oil Cordials 442

Diabetic Foods Offered for Sale in the United States 446

The Jireh Diabetic Food Company 451

The Name “Epinephrin” Versus the Name “Adrenalin” 454

The Hord Sanitarium 456

The German Propaganda for Reform 458

The German Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry 459

Grand Prix and Gold Medals for Sale 462

The Hypophosphite Fallacy 464

Buffalo Lithia Water 467

Meat Extracts and Meat Juices 470

Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and the Great American Fraud 474

Dowd’s Phosphatometer 476

Amorphous Phosphorus 478

THE PROPAGANDA FOR REFORM IN PROPRIETARY MEDICINES

PART I. Council Reports

COUNCIL REPORTS

ACETANILID MIXTURES

Report of the Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry

See also Labordine, p. 115; Headache Cures, p. 305; Anadol, p. 244; Phenalgin, 335.

To the Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry:

In response to the request of your chairman we have investigated the below-mentioned preparations and report as follows:

Specimens of the articles were bought in different cities in the open market, and in original sealed packages, and were analyzed by some of us or under our direction. Each article was examined by at least two chemists, and some were subjected to several analyses. While certain of the preparations are represented as being chemical compounds, the specimens examined were all found to be mixtures, the principal ingredient being acetanilid. The percentage proportions of acetanilid given below are the minimum obtained by any of the analysts.

Soda and ammonia, combined with carbonic acid, are calculated and reported as sodium bicarbonate and as ammonium carbonate (U. S. P.) respectively. Salicylic acid is calculated and reported as sodium salicylate. Diluents and other constituents than those reported were not determined.

AMMONOL

According to the analyses of the contents of the original sealed packages as purchased, this was found to be a mixture, and to contain the following ingredients approximately in the proportions given:

Acetanilid. Sodium Bicarb. Ammonium Carb. 50. 25. 20.

ANTIKAMNIA

See also Antikamnia, The Nostrum and Its Method of Exploitation, page 268.

According to the analyses of the contents of the original sealed packages as purchased, this was found to be a mixture, and to contain the following ingredients approximately in the proportions given:

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