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 recommendations of the subcommittee were adopted by the Council
and in accordance therewith the report is published with comments,
substantially as follows: The formula means that it is a solution
of well-known salts, some of them under partially disguised names.
Every one knows what Glauber’s salts are good for. Disodium hydrogen
phosphate is ordinary common sodium phosphate. Sodium thiosulphate is
familiar as sodium hyposulphite, the “hypo” of the photographers. Every
one knows, of course, that sodium chlorid is common salt. Examination
and analysis of various specimens of this product demonstrated that
its composition is not always the same. As an indication of the
ignorance of the promoters of this nostrum it is interesting to note
that the label on one of the bottles purchased states that it is a
“sulphophosphate” instead of a sulphophosphite. Extravagant claims are
made for this simple mixture of laxative salts, and these with the
methods of using it are printed on the labels, and while it is claimed
to be only advertised to the profession, the physician is repeatedly
advised in the advertisements to “order always an original (six ounce)
bottle to prevent substitution.” The natural result of this would
be, of course, to put the patient in the way of prescribing it for
himself and to spread the advertisement of the drug among the public.
Difficulty has been experienced in finding out who the promoters of
this nostrum are and the correspondence in regard to it is published.
They seem to prefer to be known by their corporate title of Laine
Chemical Company only. It is a sample of many other so-called ethical
proprietary drugs, most of which are simple mixtures of well-known
drugs which physicians are using every day and which require no skill
in their compounding. Their proprietors not only presume to sell and
advertise medicines but also to tell the physicians how to treat their
patients.--(_Abstracted from The Journal A. M. A., Dec. 8, 1906._)
TAUROCOL
Report of the Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry
The Paul Plessner Company, Detroit, places on the market Taurocol
Tablets and Taurocol Compound Tablets. The company makes a pretense of
giving the formula--minus any quantities--thus:
“Taurocol is a combination of bile salts, extracts of cascara
sagrada, phenolphthalein and aromatics.”
The “formula” given for Taurocol Compound Tablets is:
“Taurocol (Bile Salts) Gramme .1296
Pepsin 1-3000 " .0324
Pancreatic Ext " .0324
Extract Nux Vomica (1/8 gr.) " .0081
Aromatics Q. S.”
A comparison of these two “formulas” with those furnished for
Veracolate and Veracolate with Pancreatin and Pepsin shows that they
are nearly the same.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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