Secret remedies : $b What they cost and what they containBritish Medical Association
Science
Secret remedies : $b What they cost and what they contain
British Medical Association
Patent medicines
For Supper.—(Let this meal be not later than
two-and-a-half, or, better still, three hours before
going to bed.) Take either Cocoa or Kefyr....
Before going to bed.—Always make a point of taking one
glass of Kefyr or cup of Star Tonic.
When in bed always have some cold “Star Tonic” near at
hand, and sip some when troubled with cough or acute
symptoms.
At the bottom of the diet table is a notice to the following effect:
“The above specially recommended articles can be had
from the Sales’ Department of the Weidhaas Hygienic
Institute, Ltd.”
In the circular, referred to above as enclosed, Kefyr ferment is
offered for sale.
In one case which was enquired into of a young man who had been induced
to obtain the treatment, his mother wrote to the institute complaining
that the treatment appeared to have done her son more harm than good.
The reply, after insisting that the remedy supplied was the very best
cure for his complaint, continued: “As to it lowering his vitality, let
me say that it is not unusual for patients to feel apparently worse in
the beginning, but it only shows that the treatment is disturbing the
cause of the trouble. Now, this is just what I want it to do. I want to
disturb it and thus drive it out of the system. I hope then you will
allow your son to proceed under my directions. Give the treatment a
fair trial and it will do all that is claimed for it.” The patient was
at the time in an advanced stage of pulmonary phthisis, and died of
hæmoptysis, of which he had had two previous attacks, seven weeks after
the letter quoted above was written. A month after his death a letter
was addressed to him by the director of the institute in the course of
which it was stated that: “Many patients do not gain immediate relief,
or even partial improvement during the early stages of the treatment,
but Perseverance and a faithful adherence to all my instructions will
invariably bring about the desired result.”
Among the papers sent to an enquirer was a printed form which seems
worthy of reproduction, since it illustrates a method of getting
into touch with possible patients, which appears to be followed with
variations by other companies that appeal to the sick:
R. B.
_HAVE YOU FRIENDS WHO NEED OUR TREATMENT?_
If you know of anyone whom you think might derive benefit from the use
of our Home Treatment, you will do them and us a great favour by noting
hereon their names, addresses, and the trouble you believe them to be
afflicted with. Upon receipt of the names we will send them information
concerning our method of treatment, _but will not mention your name
unless you desire it_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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