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
Permanganates and sulphids mutually destroy each other, and therefore
the addition of the small amount of potassium permanganate cannot
serve any useful purpose. The amounts of phenol, menthol and “Lilac or
Citronel oil” are too small to exercise any effect (other than that of
a flavor) and must be considered unessential additions.
2. Foral is a pharmaceutical mixture marketed under a non-informing
name.
Whereas it is in the interest of rational medicine that physicians
should know the composition of the preparations which they use, the
name of this pharmaceutical mixture fails to indicate that it contains
the well-known and by no means always harmless barium sulphid.
3. Foral is sold under exaggerated and unwarranted claims.
In view of the small amount of phenol present and the method of using
the preparation, the claim that the use of Foral which, when operating
on open wounds, “guarantees against any infection,” is evidently
unwarranted.
There is no evidence for the claim that the use of depilatories such
as Foral retards the growth of hair or renders hair less coarse. On
the contrary, the commonly prevailing opinion is that depilation, like
shaving, makes the hair coarser.
To determine if “one and all” of those who had used Foral were still
using the preparation, four of the testimonials, appearing in an
advertising pamphlet, were investigated. The pharmacist of the
hospital from which the first of these testimonials was stated to have
emanated replied that the person whose name appeared in connection with
it had left the hospital about ten years ago and that no depilatory
preparation has been used in this hospital for some time. So far as
he knew, depilatories were not now in use in the surgical wards of
the hospital. In regard to the second testimonial, the pharmacist of
this hospital wrote that the hospital had not bought the preparation,
but that some of it had been obtained for an elderly deaconness,
who had personal use for a depilatory. The physician signing the
third testimonial replied that the preparation was effectual for the
removal of hair from the scalp, but that “... we have gotten out of
the habit of using it.” In the case of the fourth testimonial, its
asserted author wrote “... if it is applied in too large a quantity
or too concentrated, or permitted to remain on too long, it will
vesicate. It was for this reason chiefly that I discontinued its use.
It is a very bad smelling mixture and patients complain of it very
bitterly.”--(_From Reports of Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry, 1918,
p. 55._)
GRANULAR EFFERVESCENT BROMIDE AND ACETANILID COMPOUND-MULFORD
Report of the Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry
The following report explaining the omission from New and
Nonofficial Remedies of Granular Effervescent Bromide and Acetanilid
Compound-Mulford has been authorized for publication.
W. A. Puckner, Secretary.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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