Am.  JoUft,  PflTARM.  ) 
July  1,  1871.  j 
Editorial. 
331 
Lieblg's  Diktetic  Articles. — Professor  J.  von  Liebig  publishes  a  card  in  the 
German  Scientific  Journals,  in  which  he  calls  attention  to  a  number  of  dietetic 
and  other  articles,  to  which  the  manufacturers  have  attached  his  name.  Several 
of  these  preparations  have  also  been  introduced  into  the  United  States,  and  .it 
is  therefore  proper  that  the  pharmacists  and  physicians  of  this  country  should 
ibe  put  on  their  guard  against  such  hare  faced  dishonesty.  Some  years  ago,  it 
will  be  remembered,  Liebig  suggested  a  food  for  infants  which  was  noticed  in 
the  Amer.  Joui  n.  Pharm.  1865,  page  226.  The  preparation  is  in  the  form  of  a 
•coarse  powder,  and  was  experimented  with  by  many  physicians,  but  did  not 
►meet  with  universal  favor.  Soon  after  J.  Paul  Liebe,  homoeopathic  apothecary 
of  Dresden,  Germany,  introduced  a  preparation  in  the  form  of  a  thick  syrup 
under  the  title  of  Liebig's  food  for  infants  in  soluble  condition,"  and  meeting 
r/ith  success,  subsequently  changed  the  name  to  "  Liebe — Liebig's  food  for 
infants"  (Nahrungs-Mittel  fur  Sanglinge).  xVobody  could  have  reasonably  found 
any  fault  with  the  former,  as  long  as  the  manufacturer  adhered  strictly  to  Lie- 
big's direction  for  preparing  the  soup  ;  aud  the  use  of  the  latter  name  even  may 
be  defended.  But  encouraged  by  his  success,  Liebe  put  forth  a  number  of 
preparations  to  which  he  attaches  Liebig's  name,  among  them  a  condensed 
■milk,  unfermented  extract  of  malt,  malt  extract  with  iron,  iodine,  quinia,  iodide 
•of  iron,  etc.    Professor  Liebig  declares  in  regard  to  these  : 
"  I  am  in  no  connection  whatever  with  J.  P.  Liebe  at  Dresden,  and  with 
other  manufacturers  of  similar  products  ;  I  have  neither  examined  nor  given  an 
opinion  on  their  preparations.  I  am  not  the  inventor  of  a  malt  extract,  nor 
have  I  given  directions  for  preparing  a  condensed  milk.  J.  P  Liebe  and  other 
manufacturers  have  arbitrarily  connected  my  name  with  their  preparations, 
without  my  consent  and,  of  course,  against  my  will." 
This  disclaimer  is  very  plain  and  fair  as  far  as  its  relates  to  the  above  men- 
tioned specialties;  but  it  is  probably  hurled  also  against  the  extracts  of  meat 
which,  of  late  years,  have  appeared  in  the  market  connected  with  Liebig's  name, 
•for  immediately  afterwards  follows  the  declaration  :  "  The  only  preparation 
bearing  my  name  with  my  permission,  is  the  extract  of  meat  manufactured  in 
Fray  Bentos,  South  America.'' 
It  is  the  same  complaint  or  rather  insinuation  advanced  several  times  during 
the  last  five  or  six  years,  as  if  a  preparation  made  from  the  same  material  and 
by  the  same  process,  was  not  the  same,  whether  made  at  Pray  Bentos,  in 
Australia,  in  Texas  or  some  other  place.  Liebig's  name,  we  dare  say,  will  be 
ever  used  in  connection  with  this  extract  of  meat,  and  deservedly  so  ;  bat  it 
sounds  strangely  and  smacks  strongly  of  the  usage  of  the  patent  medicine  men 
with  which  our  country  is  infested,  when  we  read  the  caution  printed  on  the 
circulars  accompanying  each  jar  of  the  Liebig  company's  extract.  It  is  the 
only  kind  which  we  have  been  using  for  years,  because  the  known  terms  of  the 
contract,  which  are  undoubtedly  faithfully  carried  out,  carry  with  them  such 
strong  guarantees  of  uniform  quality,  that  this  alone  is  sufficient  to  compensate 
for  any  difference  in  price.  The  greatest  mistake,  in  our  opinion,  made  by  most 
of  the  manufacturers  of  Liebig's  extract  of  meat,  is  that  they  neglect  to  enter 
into  similar  compacts  with  chemists  of  undoubted  integrity,  so  that  every  batch 
