aken forty
bottles of one of these preparations, and had become a drunkard through
it.

Many seem unaware that the ethics of the medical profession restrain
reputable physicians from advertising themselves or their remedies, so
that these much-lauded patent medicines are put upon the market by
quacks, never by physicians of good standing. It is purely a
money-making enterprise, without consideration of the health or
destruction of the people. It is popularly supposed that physicians
decry these things from fear that their sale will injure regular
practice. This is another error as they increase work for the doctor by
aggravating existing trouble, as well as causing disease where there was
only slight disturbance.

Dr. F. E. Stewart, Ph. G., of Detroit, Mich., says in the October, 1897,
_Life and Health_:--

"Taking all these facts into consideration, it is apparent that
the patent, trade-mark and copyright laws should be so
interpreted and administered by the court that they will secure
the greatest good to the greatest number, and aid in attaining
the end of government, viz., 'moral, intellectual and physical
perfection.' It is not the object of these laws to create odious
monopolies, to throw a mantle of protection over fraud, to
enable quacks and charlatans to encroach on the domain of
legitimate medical and pharmacal practice, or to support an
advertising business designed to mislead the public in regard to
the nature and value of medicines as curative agents. The morals
of the community are injured by some of this advertising,
intellectual vigor is impaired by the use of many things
advertised, and physical, as well as moral, degradation
frequently results. Crime is often inculcated--even the crime of
murder, that the nostrum manufacturer may profit thereby. Cures
for incurable diseases are promised, and guaranteed. Every
scheme that human and devilish ingenuity can devise to wring
money from its victim is resorted to, which can be employed
without actually bringing the advertisers into court. All this
wicked quackery parades under the guise of 'patent' medicines,
and asks the protection of our courts. It is time for the
medical and pharmaceutic professions to unite, and unmask this
monster, and show the public its true nature. And this can be
accomplished in no better way than through a study of the object