378  American  Medical  Association.  {^kl^Cm™' 
in  the  guise  of  a  clinical  authority.  These  journals,  though  having 
a  nominal  subscription  price,  were  sent  to  selected  lists  of  physicians 
in  tributary  territory  so  long  as  the  results  were  satisfactory,  and 
since  they  were  entered  in  the  post-offices  as  second-class  matter  at 
one  cent  per  pound,  they  formed  the  cheapest  and  most  effective 
kind  of  advertising.  The  doctor-proprietor  usually  hid  his  identity 
under  aliases  representing  anonymous  chemical  companies ;  one 
such  journal  published  in  Connecticut  masquerading  as  some  dif- 
ferent company  for  each  of  its  specialties. 
ANONYMOUS  COMPANIES. 
This  "  Wily "  concern  issues  a  quarterly  devoted  to  the  "  Uric 
Acid  Diathesis  "  and  its  control  by  a  very  ordinary  effervescent  salt 
sold  at  an  extortionate  price,  which  from  being  for  the  exclusive 
use  of  physicians  has  recently  been  distributed  to  the  laity  and  the 
medical  testimonials  used  to  extol  the  wonderful  virtues  of  the  salt 
to  the  public.  These  journals  are  certainly  not  entitled  to  the  re- 
duced postage  of  second-class  rates  since  the  publishers  are  also 
owners  of  the  medicines,  which  are  constantly  being  extolled,  not 
only  in  the  advertising  pages,  but  in  "■  clinical  notes  "  and  "  answers 
to  correspondents  "  and  sometimes  in  leading  articles  accompanied 
with  the  portraits  of  the  distinguished  author. 
SWINDLING  THE  POST  OFFICE  DEPARTMENT. 
Since  one  of  these  journals  pays  $6,000  a  year  postage  in- 
stead of  $48,000  as  it  should  pay  at  the  regular  rates,  inves- 
tigation by  the  Post  Office  department  would  seem  desirable. 
While  some  of  these  journals  have  retired  during  the  past  two  years 
and  others  have  consolidated,  specimens  of  their  kind  may  be 
found  in  the  following  places:  Burlington,  Vt.  ;  Danbury,  Conn.; 
New  York,  Philadelphia,  Chicago,  St.  Louis,  North  Carolina,  Wis- 
consin and  Texas. 
SOURCE  OF  MEDICAL  INFORMATION. 
Indulgence  is  asked  for  this  extensive  reference  to  medical  jour- 
nalism, but  this  subject  is  indissolubly  connected  with  the  discussion 
of  the  Proprietary  Medicine  Question.  It  brought  the  issue  to  the 
American  Medical  Association  and  led  to  the  organization  of  the 
Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry  as  a  consequence. 
