NOSTRUMS 



253 



Hair-growing Fakes. In many newspapers are to be found 

 advertisements of medicines for making hair grow. Most of these 

 medicines are composed of useless materials and have never been 

 known to make hair grow. 



Obesity Cures. Some of the " Get Thin " medicines are nothing 

 but powders composed of sugar, baking soda, and tartaric acid, 

 colored pink. Other flesh reducers con- 

 tain Epsom salts, camphor, soda and citric 

 acid. They are sold at an enormous price, 

 and are perfectly useless for flesh reducing, 

 but may be destructive to the health if 

 used in large quantities. 



Another preparation which has been 

 sold for the purpose of reducing flesh is 

 an ointment consisting largely of soap. 

 The purchaser is supposed to rub this on 

 the body until the superfluous fat is 

 rubbed away. 



Still another method for reducing flesh 

 is to put in the bath a preparation com- 

 posed of Epsom salts and washing soda. 

 This costs the manufacturer but a few 

 cents, but is sold for one dollar. 



Obesity is generally due to improper 

 diet and lack of proper exercise. In most 

 cases the correct diet with light, persistent 

 exercise will bring about reduction in 

 weight. 



Too much flesh is of course a hand- 

 icap from the standpoint of appearance, 

 comfort and health. However, the stout 

 person has a better chance of recovery 

 from fever, since the fever burns up the 



tissues of the body unless there is a quantity of surplus fat to be 

 oxidized. 



Insurance companies consider that people who are carrying ten 

 or fifteen pounds in excess of the standard weight for their age and 



FIG. 158. This medicine 

 was found to contain a 

 dangerous substance 

 called Thyroid gland, the 

 use of which is fraught 

 with danger even under 

 skilled medical super- 

 vision. Why should the 

 sale of such medicines 

 to the public be allowed? 



From Committee on Interstate and 

 Foreign Commerce. Courtesy of 

 A. M. A. 



