HEALTH
NEW HAVEN DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
| Vol. XLIII, No. 10 | October, 1916 |
This article excerpted from pp. 2-3, 8 of the issue.
Analyses made chiefly by J. P. Street and Assistants at Conn. Agr. Exp't Station, New Haven.
From time to time the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in this city has analyzed various proprietary medicines, giving particular attention to those advertised in local newspapers. Owing to the small editions of the Station's reports the results of these analyses do not receive the publicity they deserve. We are publishing, therefore, a selection of these analyses made within the last two years. The list includes 52 remedies, all but four of which have already been published in the Station reports. The authority for our statements concerning these is given with the respective remedies.
The list includes few remedies containing habit-forming drugs, other than alcohol. The use of such remedies, fortunately, is steadily declining. Practically all of the preparations on the list fall into three general classes; those composed of simple, well-known drugs of more or less therapeutic value but sold at greatly increased prices because of their fancy and mysterious names; those which have little or no therapeutic value, but for which the most extravagant and unreasonable curative powers are claimed; and third, various toilet preparations containing such dangerous poisons as corrosive sublimate, ammoniated mercury, lead acetate or silver nitrate.
A comparison of the composition of these remedies with the claims made for them by the manufacturer, newspaper or druggist exploiting them, will usually be sufficient to show on how insecure a foundation these claims rest, and will demonstrate very clearly that their successful exploitation usually depends more upon the consumer's gullibility than on any inherent virtues the medicines possess.
Adler-i-ka. Contains Epsom Salt and aloes in large amounts, considerable salicylic acid and a trace of alcohol. Dangerous if used by sufferers from appendicitis, for which it is specially recommended.
Antikamnia Tablets. Contain 3.4 grs. phenacetin and 0.5 gr. caffein per tablet. Phenacetin is a heart-depressant and a habit-forming drug and is dangerous unless used under medical supervision.
Beecham's Pills. Contain 0.5 gr. aloes, 0.55 gr. ginger and 0.18 gr. soap per pill.
Beef, Iron and Wine. Simply an alcoholic tonic containing on the average 18.5% alcohol, 0.11% iron and 0.12% nitrogen. Only a very small amount of meat extract is present and this has no nutritive value.
Bisurated Magnesia. A mixture of alkaline salts of bismuth, sodium, calcium and magnesium.
Bad-Ex Salz (formerly Bad-Em Salz). A saline laxative connected in no way with the famous Ems baths, hence the change of name. Contains 13% common salt, 42% Glauber's salt, 36% baking soda and 9% cream of tartar.
Caldwell's Syrup Pepsin. An alcoholic sugar solution containing senna and a small amount of a salicylate, and flavored with oil of peppermint and aromatics. Pepsin, if any, is present in inappreciable amount.
California Syrup of Figs. The active principle in this preparation is senna, not figs.
Calocide Compound. Contains borax, salt, alum and tannic acid, all simple well-known remedies, mostly of an astringent nature.
Carter's Little Liver PiIls. Contain Podophyllin. aloes, licorice and starch. Claim simply absence of cathartics and purgatives, while podopyllin is a drastic purgative and aloes is a cathartic.
D. D. D., Prescription for Skin and Scalp. Alcohol 32.1%, chloral hydrate 7.8 grs. per fl. oz., thymol, phenol, methyl salicylate and salicylic acid present. Claims exaggerated.
Dean's Kidney Pills. Active ingredients potassium, nitrate, pitch and possibly a trace of oil of juniper and other unidentified drugs. Claims false and misleading
Duffy's Malt Whiskey. A slightly sweetened whiskey made from rectified spirit. Alcohol about 450%. Therapeutic claims greatly exaggerated.
Edward's Olive Tablets. Essentially aloes and ginger pills with very little, if any, olive oil.
Ply's Cream Balm. Essentially liquid petrolatum (mineral oil) with small amount of thymol and menthol.
Eckman's Alterative. Alcohol 14.4%, solids 5.3%, ash 4.0%, calcium chlorid 3.9%. The claims of this alleged consumption "cure" have been declared fraudulent in the U. S. Courts.
Farr's Gray Hair Restorer. A dilute ammonicall solution of silver nitrate, which salt is injurious to the hair.
Gets-It. A collodion preparation of salicylic acid.
Gouraud's Oriental Cream. Simply 13 gms. of calomel suspended in 8 oz. of water.
Greene's Nervura. Alcohol 17.3%, solids 6.7%, sugar 4.4%, ash 0.75% and alkaloids a faint trace. A "cure-all" for nervous diseases sold under greatly exaggerated claims.
Grove's Laxative Bromo Quinine. Contains per tablet 2.1 grs. phenacetin, 0.18 gr. caffein, 0.4 cinchona alkaloids and 0.03 gr. potassium bromid, with aloes. Claims false and misleading.
Hay's Hair Health. Contains lead acetate (a dangerous poison), glycerin and sulphur.
Hill's Cascara Bromidee-Quinine Tablets. Contain per tablet 1.4 gr. acetanilid, 0.20 gr. cinchona alkaloids and 0.06 gr. potassium bromid, with cascara. Claims false and misleading.
Hyomei. Oil of eucalyptus 80%, alcohol and mineral oil 10%. (More Scr. Remedies, 1912, p. 80).
Jad Salts. Contains sodium phosphate, sodium and potassium bicarbonates, citric and tartaric acids with a small amount of hexamethylene tetramine. (Wiley's 1001 Tests).
Kilmer's Swamp Root. Alcohol 8.7%, solids 42.3%, cane sugar 34.7%, reducing sugar 5.1%, ash 0.06%, non-sugar solids 2.5%; vegetable laxatives present, alkaloids none. Claims false and misleading.
Kingsberry's Freckle Remover. An aqueous solution of corrosive sublimate (0.53%). A dangerous poison.
Kellogg's Sanitone Wafers. Exclusive of the coatings these contain chromium sulphate, phenolphthalein and oleoresin of capsicum. Claims false and misleading.
Liquid Avron. A very dilute alcohol-glycerin solution containing salicylic acid, potassium carbonate and possibly resorcin; total solids only 2.7%.
Manola. A wine fortified with alcohol and small amounts of a number of medicinal substances, including cinchona alkaloids, phosphoric acid, arsenic and strychnin. Claims false and misleading.
Mayr's Wonderful Stomach Remedy. The remedy consists of a 5 oz. bottle of colored olive oil and two small powders, one consisting of Epsom salt with a little licorice powder, and the other a sodium phosphate. Claims false and misleading.
Mercolized Wax. Zinc oxid 10%, arnmoniated mercury 10%, and vaseline 80%. The mercury compound is a dangerous poison.
Mucol. A mixture of common salt and borax in equal parts, with a small amount of aromatics (thymol, eucalyptol, camphor and oil of wintergreen.)
Musterole. Contains oil of mustard, menthol and camphor in a lard-like base (about 89%.) Will not "prevent pneumonia" as claimed.
Nutrone Prescription 99. An alcohol-glycerin solution of sugar, containing 5.55 gm. sodium salicylate and 2.07 gms. potassium iodid per 100 cc, with extract of colchicine and a vegetable laxative. Claims exaggerated.
Optona. Borax 92% and baking soda 8% costing one dollar per 0.4 oz.
Orrine. Contains milk sugar 84.48%, ammonium chlorid 15.00% and gold chlorid 0.49%. Claims false and misleading.
Orthine. Contains 11.5%, ammoniated mercury (a dangerous poison), 7.7% bismuth subnitrate, with water and a fatty base.
Pape's Diapepsin. Active ingredients cascara, ginger and cardamon;; little, if any pepsin, papain or diastase present as claimed.
Peruna. Alcohol 17.4%, solids 2.7%, glycerin 1.5%, ash 0.11%; cubeb and senna present. Claims false and misleading.
Pinex. Alcohol 18.0%, solids 60.0%, glycerine 19.5%, sugar 27.2%, ash 2.1%, tar, etc., by difference 13.3% chloroform 17.8 min. per fl. oz.; no guaiacol detected. Claims false and misleading.
Sage's Catarrh Remedy. Common salt 86.7%, water 1.7%, organic matter 11.6%; phenol, camphor, hydrastis, sulphates and a trace of iron present.
Soxolite. Alum 63.1%, Epsom salt 36.9%.
Sargol. Active ingredients potassium, calcium and sodium hypophosphites, a magnesium salt, strychnine and a cathartic vegetable drug. They are simply tonic pills with laxative qualities, and aside from the starch and sugar in their coatings offer no nutriment to the "thin and emaciated."
Tanlac. A wine to which has been added gentian, buckthorn (or rhubarb or cascara), a berberine-bearing drug, licorice and glycerin, flavored with wild cherry. Alcohol 15.7%, solids 11.1%, largely glycerin (various authorities.) Claims exaggerated. (Jour. Amer. Med. Asso., June 5, 1915, p. 1930).
Tiz. Potash alum 60%, tannin 10%, salicylic acid 5% tale 5%, starch 20%, all very simple well-known remedies.
Tona Vita. Sherry wine slightly flavored with meat extract. Alcohol 20.7%. Essentially a beef, iron and wine, and as useless.
Var-ne-sis. An alcoholic solution (13.6%) containing less than 1% of vegetable drug extracts, chiefly from laxative drugs and capsicum. Claims false and misleading.
Vinol. Alcohol 18.5%, solids 8.5%, ash 0.45%, nitrogen 0.10%, iron 0.016%; no cod liver oil present. The nutritive and reconstructive claims are false and misleading.
Warner's Safe Remedy. Alcohol 15.2%, solids 13.39%, 10.52% of which is glycerin and sugar, potassium nitrate 1.04% bitter principles and 1.76% vegetable extractives, among which hoarhound, dandelion and tannin were identified. The main ingredients, alcohol and potassium nitrate, are contraindicated in kidney diseases because of their irritant properties.
William's Pink Pills for Pale People. Active ingredients are iron oxide and Epsom salt.
Wincarnis. A wine to which has been added malt extract and a small amount of meat extract. Alcohol 19.6%.
Wyeth's Sage and Sulphur. Alcohol 3.5%, solids 3.4%, glycerine 0.8%, ash 0.7%, lead acetate 0.8%, sulphur 1.70/c, and a mere trace of sage. A dangerous poison sold under false and misleading claims.
It was said by a person whose memory is dear to the American people that you can fool all of the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but that you can't fool all the people all the time. When one reads the advertisements in the newspapers of the wonderful healing powers of the charlatans and quacks and the astounding cures of certain nostrums in diseases whose natures differ vastly, both anatomically and physiologically, one is almost led to believe that the proportion of those who can be fooled all the time is upon the increase.
Anyone with intelligence knows that drugs have well known physiological actions and that many of those that may be of great benefit, at times, are, under certain conditions, dangerous, and should be given discreetly and under the direction of those knowing their action and doses. Again, many drugs are incompatible and any mixture containing the incompatible drugs are inert and useless. That any nostrum can be compounded that can in any manner have a beneficial effect upon so many diseases, whose pathology is vastly different, is beyond the belief of any scientific person and advertisements claiming such are insults to the intelligence of the public.
From the number of proprietary medicines on the market and the large sums expended in advertising them, we feel that there must be a large portion of the people gullible and that the business must be very profitable. We cannot understand how any druggist, who makes any pretence of being of scientific attainments, can exploit these remedies and we believe so doing is not according to the ethics of the pharmaceutical association.
After reading some of the testimonials, redounding with adjectives and fine English, and personally knowing the painful lack of education and the bad grammar ordinarily used by some of those purporting as issuing these testimonials, we are impressed with the fact that these are stock advertisements, kept for the signatures of the purchasers, or that the remedies themselves must be intellectual tonics and stimulants to the mind and the ready flow of good English. If this latter is correct, they should be recommended to many unfortunate men of the professions who are endowed with sound minds, but are unable to express themselves. In our opinion, most of these nostrums would be as efficient for this purpose as for the purposes advertised.
FRANK W. WRIGHT, Health Officer.