Patent foods and patent medicines : two lectures / by Robert Hutchinson.

  • Hutchinson, Robert., Sir, 1871-1960.
Date:
1906
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Patent foods and patent medicines : two lectures / by Robert Hutchinson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    MEDICINES. LECTURE I. PATENT FOODS. Gentlemen,—The first question we have to ask in approaching this subject is—What do you mean by a patent food ? That is a question which it is more easy to ask than to answer. But I think everyone knows quite well what a patent food is, though perhaps he cannot state it exactly in words. Practically one may define a patent food as a substance which is manufactured by artificial means from natural food products, and which is intended to be used as a substitute for ordinary natural foods, and you know that such foods are usually sold by pharmacists instead of being pro- curable from the ordinary dealers in common foods. Having defined what is meant by a patent food the next thing one has to ask is what is the necessity for the existence of such foods at all ? There are, of course, certain scientific conditions which might justify their existence, although you know perfectly well that most patent foods exist because certain persons have found that it pays to produce them and because they have persuaded the public by assiduous advertisement that these foods are requisite in the sick room.