The great American fraud : articles on the nostrum evil and quacks, in two series, reprinted from Collier's weekly / by Samuel Hopkins Adams.

  • Samuel Hopkins Adams
Date:
1907
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The great American fraud : articles on the nostrum evil and quacks, in two series, reprinted from Collier's weekly / by Samuel Hopkins Adams. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    to the proprietary medicines and other compounds which the traders keep in stock, with special reference to the liability of their misuse by Indians on account of the alcohol which they contain. The sale of Peruna, which is on the lists of several traders, is hereby absolutely prohibited. As a medi- cine, something else can be substituted; as an intoxicant, it has been found too tempting and effective. Anything of the sort, under another name, which is found to lead to intoxication, you will please report to this office. “[Signed] F. C. Larrabee, Acting Commissioner.” Specific evidence of what Peruna can do will be found in the following report, verified by special investigation: Pinedale, Wyo., Oct. 4.— (Special.)—“Two men suffering from delirium tremens and one dead is the result of a Peruna intoxication which took place here a few days ago. C. E. Armstrong, of this place, and a party of three others started out on a camping trip to the Yellowstone country, taking with them several bottles of whisky and ten bottles of Peruna, which one of the members of the party was taking as a tonic. The trip lasted over a week. The whisky was exhausted and for two days the party was without liquor. At last some one suggested that they use Peruna, of which nine bottles remained. Before they stopped the whole remaining supply had been consumed and the four men were in a state of intoxication, the like of which they had never known before. Finally, one awoke with terrible cramps in his stomach and found his companions seemingly in an almost lifeless condition. Suffering terrible agony, he crawled on his hands and knees to a ranch over a mile distant, the process taking him half a day. Aid was sent to his three companions. Armstrong was dead when the rescue party arrived. The other two men, still unconscious, were brought to town in a wagon and are still in a weak and emaciated condition. Arm- strong’s body was almost tied in a knot and could not be straightened for burial.” Here is the testimony from a druggist in a “no license” town: “Peruna is bought by all the druggists in this section by the gross. I have seen persons thoroughly intoxicated from taking Peruna. The com- mon remark in this place when a drunken party is particularly obstrep- erous is that he is on a ‘Peruna drunk.’ It is a notorious fact that a great many do use Peruna to get the alcoholic effect, and they certainly do get it good and strong. Now, there are other so-called remedies used for the same purpose, namely, Gensenica, Kidney Specific, Jamaica Ginger, Hostetter’s Bitters, etc.” So well recognized is this use of the nostrum that a number of the Southern newspapers advertise a cure for the “Peruna habit,” which is probably worse than the habit, as is usually the case with these “cures.” In southern Ohio and in the mountain districts of West Virginia the “Peruna jag” is a standard form of intoxication. Two Testimonials. A testimonial-hunter in the employ of the Peruna company was referred by a Minnesota druggist to a prosperous farmer in the neighborhood. The farmer gave Peruna a most enthusiastic “send-off;” he had been using it for several months and could say, etc. Then he took the agent to his barn and showed him a heap of empty Peruna bottles. The agent counted them. There were seventy-four. The druggist added his testimonial. “That old boy has a ‘still’ on all the time since he discovered Peruna,” said he. “He’s my star customer.” The druggist’s testimonial was not printed. At the time when certain Chicago drug stores were fighting some of the leading patent medicines, and carrying only a small stock of them, a boy
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