SECRET DRUGS AND CURES

NZ Truth, Issue 122, 19 October 1907, Page 8

SECRET DRUGS AND CURES

INJURY AND DEATH TO

YOUTH.

"Demoralisation and Debauchery."

Necessity for Legislation.

"Youth is not separable by any well-defined grounds m respect of exposure to suffering, to accident, or to homicide by reason of the sale of secret nostrums." With this sentence Commissioner Beale opens his chapter upon "Injury and Death to the Adolescent," which is one of the most important divisions of his report. He refers particularly to what he terms "the exposure of the young to demoralisation and even to debauchery by the sale of intoxicants known as "bracers" ; by preparations of cocaine, acetanilide, sulphonal, and other synthetic depressants, of opium ;by compounded drugs supposed to excite sexual desire ; by preparations intended to prevent conception or to induce abortion ; and by the sale of certain things manufactured m Europe, which are designed and sold for the sole purpose of nameless and unnatural vices." "So-called 'medicaied' compounds," he says, "have

A WIDE VOGUE IN AUSTRALIA, are mostly, if hot all, imported, whilst varieties are being introduced at great expense, which it is expected that the undefended population will recoup with ample profit to the foreign vendors. As nothing can surpass the audacious impudence of the claims made for the nostrums, so it may be expected that the defence offered by the exploiters of humanity will be devoid of any moral restraint. . . . Millions of pounds are made annually by lies and fraud out of the health and morals of the young." Mr Beale quotes whole pages written by Samuel Hopkins Adams m "Collier's Weekly" with regard to "bracers" under various high-sounding names, and to other "great American frauds" which are described as "subtle poisons." With certain of the "bracers" we have already dealt m "Truth," showing that they are stimulants and that many of them are compounded of "the cheapest Italian vermouth, poor gin and bitters." One of the most pernicious drugs referred to by Adams are various preparations sold AS "HEADACHE POWDERS," and which contain acetanilide m some shape or form. The action of this drug is to suppress the heart's action, and to reduce the number of the corpuscles of the blood, which may be, and often has been, a fatal procedure m feverish conditions, that is m influenza, for example. In Germany even physicians are limited to a maximum of 7* grains of acetanilide for any one prescription. It is only obtainable there upon the prescription of a registered doctor, and it is a criminal offence to sell acetanilide without such an order. In Anglo-Sax-on countries any quantity of this poison can be had by anyone who can pay for it. Death has resulted from five grains. "An acetanilide habit is. occasionally observed among the victims of this commerce, the subjects presenting blue mucous membranes, a weak and irregular heart, albuminuria, and edema of the feet and ankles, together with the moral depravity characteristic of MORPHINE MANIACS."A leading pathologist states : "To my certain knowledge there is such debasement as can only be described by the word debauchery, especially amongst women, resulting from the use of these articles. The evil therefrom is of very grave national importance. It has increased of late years, and is still increasing." Earl Grey, Governor-General of Canada, addressing the medical students of the McGill University at Montreal, said : "I read wonderful advertisements about 'How to fool a lazy liver,' 'How to cure catarrh' and a number of other almost miraculous cures that might be effected by the virtues of certain drugs. That reminds me of my old friend 'Peruna.' In polite whisky is called 'Peruna.' Recently I bought a bottle of 'Peruna' and sent it to be analysed. It was returned to me showing that it contained 40.5 proof spirit. To add to this recently I received a report from a friend m Washington showing that thousands of children died every year through these medicines, and THE TRAGEDY OF IT is all the more intensified because the stuff is administered by mothers who do not know the effects of the mixtures they are giving their children. I am of the opinion that laws should be made that it would be required to show what patent medicines contained. It should be set down that all drugs containing alcohol and narcotics and other patent drugs should have the percentage of these drugs printed on the labels of bottles. If not, the shadow of the undertaker will mingle with that of the medical profession." Mr Beale publishes a long extract from an official report of the American Medical Association upon acetanilide mixtures, which gives the analyses of various preparations. The proportion of acetanilide, which is a cheap aniline derivative prepared from coal tar, ranges from 43 to 76 per cent. In Canada the Bureau of Chemistry is perpetually engaged m investigating these drugs, and issues periodical warnings to the public m the form of official bulletins. In Australia we have NO SUCH SAFEGUARD. One of the Canadian reports includes "the white spirit intoxicants." which (says' Mr Beale) "are chiefly used m Australia for use by teetotallers and by women and children m their homes," as among the "miscellanedrug samples." Numerous cases are cited of deaths through the use of "headache powders," and of poisoning by veronal, antipryn, phenacetin exalgine, and sulphonal. A certain preparation which consists of sulphuric acid and water, is guaranteed to "cure" no fewer than 37 diseases or ailments, ranging from gout to tuberculosis and from piles to bronchitis ! With regard to "things designed and sold for the sole purpose of nameless and unnatural vices," Mr Beale says the subject is "too revolt- ' ing to elucidate at all.. Beyond the

Minister and officials of the Customs there is no occasion for anyone m the Commonwealth to be even aware of the existence of such abominations, which are exclusively of foreign origin. ... It was brought to the knowledge of • the Commission that the things had been imp Dried by two firms, both of them

PROMINENT COMMERCIAL COta CERNS, ii a large way of business m Arcslrai lia. The makers are perfectly Satan-i ie m their productions. . I respectfully suggest that 'to " import, to give away or to knowingly retain manufacture, sell, offer for sale , or knowingly retain m possession the articles herein indicated should be> made by Statute a felony. Further, that the articles be specifically , prohibited, so that an attempt to. import them would constitute the offence of smuggling. Experience has shown that the articles are dealt m, when at all, by those importing, and selling drugs, for illicit practices. I have visited many so-called: chemists' shops (m England) kept hj{ (I was told) unqualified persons.. Here were displayed for sale multi-i farious drugs, preparations, and am tides for procuring abortion, toi gether with preventives." Referring incidentally to the

NECESSITY OF LEGISLATION Mr Beale states : "The golden rule,which was indeed a projection upon centuries of time, is coming home to the business conscience of, to-day 'Am I my brother's keeper V is answered still, as it was m the childhood of the race : 'The voice of thy bro-« ther's blood crieth unto me from the ground.' And the metaphor is not forced. There is no more gross off criminal commercialism than that which trifles with human life or . hu? man health for gain. The manufac ture and the exploitation of a patent medicine, for the cure of unknown ills, is an assault upon the purse ofi the public; if the remedy is harmless; and an assault upon the health of the purchaser if it is not. He who sells or directs the purchase of a possibly; toxic agent, the innocent or danger-i ous quality of which is not known* is an accessory before the fact. . . The only cure is law and penalty;, making moral by Act of. Parliament* paternal legislation." Samuel H-« Adams, whom Mr Beale Quotes ap4 provingly, says : "Relentless greed' sets the trap, and Death is the part-i ncr m the enterprise."