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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26022 Posts |
 Posted - 12/21/2003 : 16:56:36
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quote:
"Gullible America," Adams began his first article, "will spend this year [1905] some seventy-five millions of dollars in the purchase of patent medicines. In consideration of this sum it will swallow huge quantities of alcohol, an appalling amount of opiates and narcotics, a wide assortment of varied drugs ranging from powerful and dangerous heart depressants to insidious liver stimulants; and, far in excess of all other ingredients, undiluted fraud."
From Vanderbilt Medical Center. The article focuses on a museum display of old "patent-medicine" bottles and other nostalgia.
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- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too. |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 12/22/2003 : 03:12:30 [Permalink]
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Gullible indeed. But nothing much has changed -- as a whole, we have always been suckers for snake oil and a good pitch, and I doubt we'll ever wise up. In all honesty, I'll include myself among the bewildered masses.
Many if not most of these nostrums worked quite well at what they were intended to do; relax the sufferer and make him/her feel a little better. O'course, the occasional, low grade hangover had to be written off as part of the illness. Unfortunatly, some 'medicines' led to a narcotic addiction that was dealt with by, of course, taking more of the brew that caused the problem in the first place. That's capitalism in it's purest form, and a modern version can be observed at any automobile company in the world.
Little has changed. I am remimded of the weight-loss industry; grapefruit diets and so forth. If you wish to get rich from the flesh of others, this in the one to be in. There seems to be a new and more fantastic system hyped every day, "Yer money back if yer not completly satisfied!" Yeah, right.
I suppose that you could pour faith healing into the mix and it would blend in nicely.
Damn your eyes, what have you done with my laudinum? Fetch it at once!
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist! 
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26022 Posts |
Posted - 12/22/2003 : 07:03:26 [Permalink]
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filthy wrote:quote:
I am remimded of the weight-loss industry; grapefruit diets and so forth. If you wish to get rich from the flesh of others, this in the one to be in. There seems to be a new and more fantastic system hyped every day, "Yer money back if yer not completly satisfied!" Yeah, right.
Forget "money back," all you've gotta do to make money in the weight loss industry is write a book. Publishers know they sell well, they don't give a hoot whether anything in the book is true, and thanks to the 1st Amendment, there's nothing the FDA or FTC can do except publish their own rebuttals.
But back to the subject: the most I can see has changed is that today's nostrums contain less alcohol, fewer narcotics, and cost more (though I'm not sure about that last one - comparing 1905 dollars to 2003 dollars isn't my bag). |
- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too. |
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Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13477 Posts |
Posted - 12/22/2003 : 09:11:28 [Permalink]
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quote:
Dave W:
Forget "money back," all you've gotta do to make money in the weight loss industry is write a book. Publishers know they sell well, they don't give a hoot whether anything in the book is true, and thanks to the 1st Amendment, there's nothing the FDA or FTC can do except publish their own rebuttals.
Im thinking of cashing in by creating a diet that simply has to work. I call it the "Hemlock Diet." It's natural and 100% effective. You will lose weight in no time if you follow the instructions. Money back guarantee? No problem. Of course, gathering testimonials may be a problem..... |
Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.
Why not question something for a change?
Genetic Literacy Project |
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26022 Posts |
Posted - 12/22/2003 : 10:51:50 [Permalink]
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Hmmm... I think, Kil, that "inciting suicide" would quickly become illegal, and yet another form of unprotected speech. 
Of course, this isn't to say that the Hemlock Diet would be the first thing suggested which would kill its users, I just think that most of the more deadly stuff wasn't (isn't) quite powerful enough to drop you where you stand. |
- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too. |
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26022 Posts |
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