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
No reply to this letter was received, and hence a copy of the letter
was sent to Schieffelin and Company and also to Rufus Crowell and
Company with the explanation that unless the statements in the Colalin
advertising which the referee had questioned were substantiated by
satisfactory evidence, were suitably revised, or else the advertising
matter withdrawn pending revision, the referee would be obliged
to recommend to the Council that Colalin be omitted from New and
Nonofficial Remedies.
In reply, Schieffelin and Company wrote that they were not “engaged
actively in the introduction of Colalin,” and agreed to the omission of
Colalin from N. N. R.
In view of the failure to substantiate the claims objected to or an
agreement to discontinue them, the Council directed that Colalin and
Colalin Tablets be omitted from New and Nonofficial Remedies for
conflict with Rule 6 (unwarranted therapeutic claims).
The following are the claims which the referee questioned:
“Colalin embodies the physiological function of the bile in the
intestinal canal and also possesses properties of its own which are
intimately connected with the function of the liver.”
The quotation implies that Colalin has properties essentially different
from those of bile salts, a claim which requires substantiation.
“In the liver its action seems to be that of a general stimulant of
all the hepatic functions.”
This is a claim which requires substantiation.
“By the introduction of Colalin it has therefore become possible to
actually utilize the bile for therapeutic purposes.”
This is an unwarranted claim, for bile was used therapeutically before
Colalin was introduced.
“As gall-stones are chiefly composed of cholesterin, experiments
were made to determine whether Colalin would dissolve these
concretions outside of the body. These were completely successful
and were then followed by an extensive series of clinical
investigations on persons suffering with cholelithiasis, which
demonstrated that by the administration of Colalin in many
instances gall-stones were evacuated by the natural passages and
their further formation prevented without resort to surgical
intervention.”
This is misleading in that the context shows that “without surgical
intervention” is meant to imply a connection between the experiments
showing the solvent power of Colalin and the passage of concretions.
“... Colalin not only acts as a solvent of cholesterin calculi, but
prevents their further formation by removing the causes upon which
their development depends.”
This conveys the impression that such solvent action is exerted in
the body, that is, that such concretions in the gallbladder may be
dissolved and evacuated by the use of Colalin. For this claim there is
no evidence.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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