The Menace, an Exposition of Quackery Nostrum Exploitation and Reminiscences of a Country Doctor Page: 10

The Menace

The fact is, practically all of these "cures" are founded
on heartless cupidity and down-right fraud. Occasionally
some ignorant enthusiast honestly believes he has some-
thing of value, but these self-deluded exploiters are very
rare. As a rule the promoters are pernicious swindlers. The
villainous scoundrels know full well how eagerly the help-
less consumptive grasps at any advertised "cure," and they
word their advertisements so that the poor victim thinks
that here at last is the elixir of life. They also know that
there is an inbred belief on the part of the laity that medi-
cine will "cure" consumption. They know too, that the
inherent fear of the "consumptive's" relatives will make
them believe that every pain whether real or imaginary is
consumption, and will cause them to buy a bottle of this
wonderful "cure." But knowing all this, such promoters
are willing to make capital out of the fear, the ignorance,
and the pitiable conditions of those afflicted with tubercu-
losis. They are in the business, frankly and baldly, for the
dollars regardless of death to the pitiable victim and sorrow
to the dear ones left behind. But what shall be said of
physicians who lend the weight of their names and author-
ity of their profession that they, too, may soil their hands
with the tainted money of these monstrous devils in human
flesh? May they, when they close their eyes to sleep, see
the poor cadaverous consumptives with bony fingers, and
arms outstretched, reaching for the blood money, crying
in tones of anguish, "you have swindled me, and robbed my
wife and child, you told me that you would 'cure' me, and
you know you lied, you deceived me and deprived me of
precious moments, if you had told me right, I might have
used them to have gotten well."
Can a much more disgraceful business than the various
"consumption cure" humbugs be imagined? Founded on
fraud, maintained by deceit, perpetuated by falsehood, the
sick are exploited to pay dividends to incorporated quackery.
How much longer will this outrage on the unfortunate
victims of the great white plague be tolerated? If not for
humanitarian reasons, then for its own protection, at least
society should demand that such cruel frauds be suppressed.

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