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Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 74, 14 August 1912, Page 4

PROPRIETARY "MEDIC'TXKS. Australian and American laws for the prevention of patent medicine frauds appear to have made a strong impression on the various authorities who are trying to secure similar legislation for Cheat Britain. In the United "Kingdom the universal quack and the compounder of dangerous soporifics have Ion;' enjoyed an extraordinary liberty, for which' it is scarcely possible to account unless we assume that they arc given immunity from prosecution for the s,ikn of the very large revenue thev yield to the Treasury in the foTm of stamp duty. In the course of their inquire into their trade .which the Government has sanctioned, it has been estimated that one section of the patent medicine manufacturers alone—those represented in the London Chamber of Commerce—spends £2,000,000 a year between them in advertising their wares. The profits from the sales are enormous, and of course justify such expenditure from the business point of view. The Government committee is being urged to compel the manufacturers to declare the constituents, of their "remedies" on the labels under which they are sold. One of the many witnesses examined by the committee, Dr .Alfred Cox (secretary of the British Medical .Association V admitted that some of the patent 'ireparations were useful and that doctor prescribed them in the course of (Mr practice. But in these cases the con H-ituents of the drugs were known to th- profession, thouEfh thev mi "lit not be ' Mnvn to llie general public. On the Dr Cox added, the medical profey'.-m derived pecuniary advantage frorp tlu; sale of proprietary drugs, "because Mi,, consumption 'of them led to deliv in applying proper medical treatment, -0.l as a consequence suffh treatment ».••>.« found necessary for a longer perio-' Mian would have been requisite had t l ' patient veceired it at an earlier .sta'j- ■ of the disease."