246 GENERAL SCIENCE 



Alcohol in Medicine. Every year thousands of people are spend- 

 ing millions of dollars in purchasing patent medicines. Millions of 

 gallons of alcohol and a large quantity of opiates and narcotics, 

 ranging from powerful, dangerous heart depressants to strong stimu- 

 lants, are thus consumed each year. The diagram shows the per cent 

 of alcohol in many of the " patent medicines " on the market to-day 

 as compared with the amount of alcohol in liquors. 



Composition of Some " Patent Medicines." Some of our widely 

 sold " patent medicines " have been found to contain dangerous or 

 useless substances, such as burned sugar and alcohol with a flavor 

 added. Rochelle salts' and olive oil has been sold as a stomach 

 remedy. Dilute hydrochloric and sulphuric acids are used in many 

 medicines which do not contain alcohol. These are sometimes 

 called microbe killers, etc. Such medicines have been advertised 

 to cure: 



Asthma Goiter 



Abscess Anemia Gout 



Bronchitis* Hay Fever Influenza 



Blood Poison La Grippe 



Bowel Troubles Leucorrhea 



Coughs Colds Malaria Neuralgia 



Consumption Meningitis 



Contagious Diseases Piles Quinsy 



Cancer Catarrh Rheumatism 



Dysentery Diarrhea Scrofula 



Dyspepsia Dandruff Skin Diseases 



Eczema Erysipelas Tuberculosis 



Fevers Tumors Ulcers 



Gallstones Throat Troubles 



One medicine alone has been advertised as able to " cure " or 

 " remedy " any and all of the diseases mentioned. Such words as 

 " cure " have been removed from the label of a great many patent 

 medicines and the word " remedy " substituted because they were 

 fraudulent and unable to cure any disease and because the Food and 

 Drug Aot prohibits fraudulent claims on the trade package. Some- 



