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
Specific gravity 1.0125
Alcohol by volume per cent. 16.15
Extract per cent. 8.602
Ash per cent. 0.277
Glycerin per cent. 0.444
Volatile acid per cent. 0.0747
Tartaric acid per cent. 0.2400
Alkaloids (coca bases) per cent. 0.0250
Cane sugar per cent. 2.35
Reducing sugar per cent. 3.38
The increased alcoholic strength of Vin Mariani over the Bordeaux
wine from which it is made, as shown by this analysis, doubtless
comes from the alcohol extract containing the coca bases, as already
stated. Approximately 6 per cent. of sugar is also added to the wine.
Judging from the analysis, therefore, Vin Mariani corresponds to
a mixture of an alcoholic preparation of coca leaves and ordinary
Bordeaux red wine, with the addition of about 6 per cent. of sugar.
Vin Mariani conflicts with Rule 5, which requires that “No article
will be admitted or retained, concerning which the manufacturer
or his agents make misleading statements as to geographical
source, raw material from which made, or method of collection, or
preparation,” by stating in the advertising literature that: “The
United States government, under the Pure Food Law of March 3, 1903,
further emphasizes all previous analyses of Vin Mariani by admitting
Mariani’s wine as absolutely pure and unadulterated.”
Whatever may have been the intent of the above statement, its effect
is to deceive. The conjunction of the terms “Vin Mariani” and
“Mariani’s wine” can only be construed as meaning the same thing.
Inasmuch as it does not appear that Vin Mariani is imported into
this country, it would not have been possible for the United States
government to inspect it, and as to the wine obtained from Henry
Clausel & Co., from Bordeaux, it is not in any sense Mariani’s wine
except that of ownership. It is the opinion of the committee that
this phrase can only result in deception and the construction of the
language strongly favors the supposition that it is intentionally
meant to deceive.
This false claim is practically repeated in the other pamphlets
published by the Vin Mariani Company, although not always in the same
words.
This preparation also conflicts with Rule 6, which states that “No
article will be admitted or retained of which the manufacturer or his
agents make unwarranted, exaggerated or misleading statements as to
therapeutic value,” in that the firm’s letter-heads have printed on
them the following:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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