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
From the results of the analysis and from the physical properties of
zyme-oid we conclude, just as was done in the case of oxychlorine, that
the preparation is not a definite chemical compound, but is essentially
a mixture of alkali chlorate and nitrate with boric acid, probably
produced by fusing together the constituents.
COMMENT
An examination of the claims made for the firm’s two products, while,
as already proved, disclosing many points of similarity, will also
show one remarkable difference. We refer to the skilful indefiniteness
that pervades the claims made for zyme-oid and which defies scientific
refutation. This verbal obscurity is becoming daily more common in
the “literature” of firms marketing nostrums. Since the Council
has analyzed many of the much-advertised articles and proved the
unreliability of the pseudo-scientific claims made for them, the more
cautious of the nostrum-mongers have modified the matter descriptive of
their products. They have called to their aid the principle that words
were given to man to conceal thought rather than to express it, and
they have reduced equivocation to a fine art. Wherever it was possible
to put forward claims by implication rather than by expression this has
been done.
To substantiate further the claims made by the manufacturers of
zyme-oid for their product, a laboratory report is brought in evidence.
This report, which is written more in the style of a peruna testimonial
than that of a conservative scientific statement, fails to verify the
claim that zyme-oid is a “double borate salt,” but confines itself to a
statement of its harmlessness and its anti-fermentative properties. In
passing, it seems regrettable that scientific laboratories should, for
a pecuniary consideration, be willing to jeopardize their reputations
by lending their names to the furtherance of nostrum exploitation. The
results of the examination of zyme-oid demonstrate that the product is
no more worthy of the physician’s consideration than its close, and
equally worthless, relative, oxychlorine.--(_From The Journal A. M. A.,
May 23, 1908._)
PART III
CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE JOURNAL: NOSTRUMS
ALLEOTONE
The formula of this preparation, given in the literature, reads as
follows:
Alcoholici (Monatomic) gr. 1/1000
Quininæ Sulphatis gr. 1/384
Ac. Sulph. Dil. (10 per cent.) gtt. 2-1/2
Ac. Nitrici Dil. (10 per cent.) gtt. 1/77
Ac. Butanol-Dioic gr. 1/3
Tr. Ferri Chloridi gtt. 1/26
Aquæ gtt. xx
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