138  American  Pharmaceutical  Association.     { AmMi?ch\i907.rm' 
The  regular  program  for  the  evening  was  then  proceeded  with. 
This  consisted  of  a  discussion  of  "  The  Debasing  Influences  of 
Fraudulent  Nostrums." 
The  first  communication,  by  Dr.  Solomon  Solis  Cohen,  was  de- 
voted to  the  consideration  of  "  Secrecy  and  Fraud  as  Deterring 
Factors  to  the  Progress  of  Medicine."  Dr.  Cohen,  in  the  course  of 
his  remarks,  said  that  progress  means  an  ascent  from  little  or  no 
knowledge  to  knowledge,  and  from  knowledge  to  greater  knowledge. 
Secrecy  is  the  withholding  of  knowledge  and  breeds  ignorance, 
while  fraud  is  even  worse  than  ignorance  in  that  it  is  designed  to 
mislead. 
Dr.  Cohen  also  asserted  that  therapeutics  was  difficult  enough 
under  the  most  favorable  conditions  and  that  in  cases  where  a  phy- 
sician is  confronted  with  secrecy  or  fraud,  in  the  statements  made  in 
connection  with  medicinal  preparations,  he  is  likely  to  be  misled 
himself  and  to  do  untold  harm  to  his  patients. 
In  concluding,  the  speaker  referred  to  a  number  of  specific  prep- 
arations which  have  been  discovered  to  differ  materially  in  com- 
position from  what  was  claimed  for  them.  He  also  expressed  the 
hope  that  the  Federal  Pure  Food  and  Drugs  Law  would  be  instru- 
mental in  leading  manufacturers  to  more  duly  appreciate  the  need 
for  a  greater  degree  of  honesty  in  the  exploitation  of  their  wares. 
If  pharmacy  is  to  make  progress  and  if  medicine  is  to  make  pro- 
gress it  will  necessitate  a  full  and  complete  knowledge  of  the  com- 
position and  action  of  the  substances  used  in  the  treatment  of 
diseases. 
The  next  communication,  by  Dr.  Henry  Leffmann,  dealt  with : 
"  Known  and  Unknown  Changes  in  the  Composition  of  well  known 
Nostrums." 
Dr.  Leffmann  said  that  the  question  of  secrecy  was  one  of  the  most 
intricate  problems  and  one  that  involved  a  number  of  factors. 
Secrecy  in  connection  with  nostrums,  the  composition  of  which 
was  known  only  to  some  one  or  more  individuals,  but  not  to  all 
was  an  objectionable  feature  and  frequently  led  to  arbitrary  and  in 
many  instances  dangerous  changes  in  the  composition  and  the 
action  of  nostrums. 
Dr.  Leffmann  then  called  attention  to  a  number  of  specific  instances 
in  which  it  was  known  that  changes  had  been  made  in  the  composi- 
tion of  widely  advertised  nostrums  and  also  pointed  out  how  these 
changes  might  be  injurious  to  the  consumer. 
