The Propaganda for Reform in Proprietary Medicines, Vol. 1 of 2Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry (American Medical Association)
Science
The Propaganda for Reform in Proprietary Medicines, Vol. 1 of 2
Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry (American Medical Association)
Patent medicines
The label describes Pam-ala as “An Effective Vegetable Remedy For
MALARIA. Guaranteed free of any Quinine, or other harmful [_sic_]
drugs.” It is said to be indicated in “Malarial Intermittent and
Remittent Fevers, especially curative in Chronic Malaria and
Malarial Cachexia and all conditions even where Quinine fails.”
One tablespoonful three times a day is said to be the “Curative
Dose,” while one tablespoonful three times a week is stated to be a
“Prophylactic Dose.” The label further claims that Pam-ala “Surpasses
Quinine in its action and has none of its Disadvantages.” Assertions
that Pam-ala is superior to quinin are followed by the usual
“guarantee” claim: “Guaranteed by the Pam-Ala Co. under the Drugs
Act, June, 1906, Ser. No. 2909 A.” Finally, the label says that it is
“Endorsed by Medical Authorities Throughout the world.”
As regards the composition, a circular says that “PAM-ALA is a purely
vegetable remedy for the cure, without Quinine, of all forms of
Malaria.” “‘PAM-ALA’ is derived from a plant of the genus Umbelliferae,
a native of the mountainous regions of Mexico and northern parts of
South America. Its medicinal properties have not been known to anyone
but the native Indians, who for years past have used it as a specific
in all forms of fever and malarial diseases so prevalent in tropical
countries. The seeds are more active as a therapeutic agent than the
dried-up plant; hence their collection for medicinal purposes requires
special skill in the selection of the same so as to be able to extract
all the possible medicinal properties from them, viz., its active
principle. An oil may be abstracted from the seeds which is of a yellow
color with an intense characteristic odor.”
At the close of the circular the following unenlightening formula
appears:
Each fluid ounce contains:
Ext. Fid. Pam-ala 10 per cent.
Alcohol 15 per cent.
Ol. Aurant Syr. Sacchari aqua ad. q. s. 100 per cent.
In addition to being a cure for malaria, Pam-ala is claimed to have a
“favorable influence upon the broncho-pneumonia of measles ...,” “will
avert an attack of acute catarrh,” and “abort acute tonsilitis.”
The testimonials are of the usual character. Most of them seem to have
been given some four years ago by physicians in Italy, Cuba, Porto
Rico, Guatemala, etc., and therefore cannot readily be looked into. Two
are of more recent date and come from physicians in this country. They
furnish good illustrations of the manner in which proprietary concerns
make use of opinions hastily formed and thoughtlessly put in writing.
One testimonial was given in July, 1912:
“I take pleasure in testifying to the seemingly marvelous and
gratifying effect of Pam-ala in 2 cases of malaria....”
On Jan. 2, 1914, its writer, in reply to an inquiry whether in the
light of continued experience, his first estimate of Pam-ala had been
confirmed, wrote:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account