The Propaganda for Reform in Proprietary Medicines, Vol. 2 of 2Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry (American Medical Association)
Science
The Propaganda for Reform in Proprietary Medicines, Vol. 2 of 2
Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry (American Medical Association)
Patent medicines
The person who received this assurance might have had his confidence in
it shaken had he seen a copy of the Denver _News_ for May 23, 1911, in
which was reported a case of collapse and death in a woman following
an injection given in White’s office. The paper stated that the death
certificate was signed by one W. A. Gray and gave “fatty degeneration
of the heart and goiter” as the cause of death. Gray, it seems, was the
licensed physician employed by Mark White to administer “Goitreine”--if
that is what White happened to be calling his product at that time.
For here it may be stated, parenthetically, that Mark White is not a
physician; he is a veterinarian.
In February, 1913, Mark White sent a circular letter to a number of
medical publications with the request that it be printed in full in
the next issue, “to cover one full page of space.” The letter White
wanted printed was addressed to doctors offering to “enter into a
copartnership agreement” with such physicians who would be willing to
treat “patients with goiter affections on a 50 per cent. commission
basis.”
“You would be expected to make a cash charge to the patient for the
treatment, remitting on the same day our 50 per cent. to us, when
ordering the treatment, giving the treatment in no cases for less
than $50.00.”
About the same time that Mark White made this “fifty-fifty” offer,
he sent in an advertisement to be published in the classified column
of The Journal. At that time he was told his advertisement was not
acceptable; we now reprint it, however, free of charge. Here it is:
“WANTED--ONE OR MORE PHYSICIANS
in each vicinity to administer and represent our new medical
treatment for GOITER. Good margin of profit. Write for copy of
contract. The Mark White Goitre Treatment Co., Denver, Colo.”
In 1914, White moved to Chicago. At least the card which we reproduce
so indicates. At that time, as will be seen, “Dr. Mark White” was
“personally associated” with Peter S. Clark, M.D. According to the
same card Dr. F. D. Paul of Rock Island, Ill., seems to have been his
“associate” for that particular locality. In this connection, it is
worth noting that a Rock Island paper, in one of its issues during
July, 1913, devoted a good deal of space to “Dr. Mark White” who
was at that time in Rock Island “directing Dr. Frank D. Paul in the
administering of the treatment.” There was nothing to indicate that
this notice was an advertisement or that the editorial appearing in the
same issue puffing White’s “important cure,” was paid for.
[Illustration: When exploited from Denver the Mark White “goiter cure”
was advertised in the daily papers. Here is a photographic reproduction
(reduced) of an advertisement that appeared in the Denver _Post_, Sept.
1, 1912.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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