556  Recognition  of  Synthetic  Chemicals.  {ASbv«Sbte?SS' 
making  them  acquainted  with  the  wonderful  possibilities  of  the  new 
drug.  This  agent  usually  has  a  plausible  tale  of  the  great  effici- 
ency of,  let  us  say,  a  methyl  modification  of  a  propyl-ethyl  combina- 
tion. Quoting  learned  professors,  he  is  able  to  demonstrate  how 
this  very  combination  has  been  foreshadowed  by  the  crude  attempts 
of  other  manufacturing  concerns.  He  also  tells  of  how  able  sci- 
entists have  for  years  been  experimenting  with  a  view  of  obtaining 
this  same  identical  chemical,  but  that  it  was  reserved  for  their  chief 
chemist,  who,  after  years  of  experimenting,  and  the  expenditure  of 
untold  sums  of  money,  had  finally  perfected  a  method  of  combining 
the  necessary  ingredients  and  producing  the  new  compound. 
The  agent's  tale  is  a  plausible  one,  and,  being  liberally  interspersed 
with  quotations  from  eminent  authorities  in  different  lines  of  inves- 
tigation, is  usually  listened  to  with  more  or  less  attention.  Follow- 
ing this  comes  the  offer  to  supply  the  physician  with  liberal  samples 
for  use  in  his  practice.  The  average  doctor  being  quite  willing  to 
try  something  new,  readily  acquiesces,  and  consents  to  give  the  new 
remedy  a  fair  trial,  with  a  view  of  reporting  the  results.  The  new 
drug  being  applicable  in  a  great  variety  of  physiological  indica- 
tions, is,  of  course,  used  more  or  less  indiscriminately  with  most 
favorable  results.  Without  giving  the  natural  recuperative  powers 
of  the  animal  organism  any  of  the  credit,  these  results  are  col- 
lected and  elaborated  into  a  report  of  cases  that  is  subsequently 
published  in  one  of  the  current  medical  journals.  Later  the  report 
is  reprinted  by  the  manufacturer,  and  thousands  of  copies  are  sent 
broadcast  through  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land. 
In  addition  to  this  system  of  personal  solicitation  for  so-called 
"scientific  experimentation  for  publication,"  the  manufacturer 
usually  occupies  two  or  more  pages  of  advertising  space,  in  a  dozen 
or  more  medical  journals.  In  addition  to,  or  in  consideration  of, 
occupying  this  amount  of  space  the  new  remedy  is  given  numerous 
reading  notices  in  the  scientific  or  news  columns  of  the  journal. 
As  an  illustration  of  the  influence  or  value  of  advertising,  let  us 
consider  the  case  of  one  of  the  patented  and  trade-marked  syn- 
thetics, the  patent  on  which  is  about  expiring.  Some  three  years 
ago  the  manufacturers  discontinued  to  advertise,  with  the  result  that 
a  drug  that  three  or  four  years  ago  was  considered  the  most  valu- 
able addition  to  the  materia  medica  is  to-day  almost  forgotten. 
The  decline  in  the  popularity  of  this  particular  drug  is  well  shown 
