Quacks and Nostrums (1959)

I feel as if my brain was going to explode. I can't think of one more idea for the life of me. Give up? Yes. Let's stow this for now. Maybe I'll think of something tomorrow. Hi there. Hi Hello, Mr. Lewis. Hi, Mom. It's getting chilly out, isn't it? Uh-huh. Well, how did it go? Oh, it was very interesting. Wait till I tell you all about it. Oh, thank you, dear. Just put it on that chair. What luck with your paper, son? Not much, I'm afraid. Oh, I made a few suggestions, but your son didn't seem to think much of them. Oh, well, no wonder. I've got to write a term paper on health education, and all the brain here can think of is a report on the natural superiority of women. What a splendid idea, Helen. Larry, you see, even your mother agrees. How was your lecture? Oh, wonderful, simply wonderful. Heavens, that man must be a genius. He's so humble and so sincere and so so compelling. He sounds fascinating. Well, his name is a a Luka Kahumana and he comes from one of those tiny remote islands in the South Seas. Oh, it must be a heavenly place. He showed us color slides of it this evening. And Larry, can you imagine, Mr. Kahumana's people scarcely know the meaning of the word sick. Sounds incredible, doesn't it? Sure does. I must remember not to go there when I become a doctor. They maintain perfect health through the use of just one basic medicine. This? Mhm. What is it? Well, it's kind of tea. Smells like peppermint. Well, it's made up of special herbs and the formula has been carefully guarded and handed down from one generation to another. Mother, so that's what this is. The secret of health all the way from the South Seas. How much? Well, 4.50. But Larry, you can't expect Mom, a quack is a quack whether he comes from the South Seas or lives right here in the city. All he's interested in is taking money from people. Now Larry, you know that I haven't been feeling very well lately and according to Mr. Kahumana, this tea is just what I need and so I can go you're not feeling well, go see Dr. Evans. He's a licensed MD. You can trust him. The fellow that sold you this stuff sounds like a phony. Oh, Larry, don't be silly. Why, I saw letters tonight, read them with my own eyes, that testified that this tea had cured ailments exactly like mine. Gall bladder attacks, stomach pains. Mom, listen. This stuff I know I know what's wrong with me and I'm convinced that I have the cure right here. So, why should I bother going to Dr. Evans? Now, you just worry about your term paper, not about me. Good night, Helen. Good night, Mrs. Lewis. How do you like that? My own mother falling for that stuff. Well, you don't know, Larry. Maybe Dr. Kahoola can help her. Doctor? That guy's no doctor, he's a quack. Sure like to hear what a real doctor has to say about him. As a matter of fact, I understand, doctor. There's There's nothing you can do unless my mother asks you. These quacks, once they get to a patient, anything can happen. Proper treatment can be delayed often until it's too late. Many people would go to a doctor earlier if they didn't trust some quack who's doing nothing for them. That's what makes a quack so dangerous. But, isn't there anything you can do about them? Oh, yes. Yes, there's the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. That's enforced by the FDA, the Food and Drug Administration. Then, there's the Federal Trade Commission. They check on the false advertising of health products. Then, the Post Office Department. They crack down on the sale of fake medicines and devices by mail. Oh, and a number of state and municipal agencies. The American Medical Association does a great job of protecting the medical profession and the public against fraud and improper advertising. It's a very serious business, Larry. Quacks and their nostrums can kill. Quacks and their nostrums? I have to do a paper for my health ed course, doctor, and it It just occurred to me that this would make a good topic. Quacks and nostrums are a good topic, and important too. Maybe I can give you some leads that would help. But certainly I would first go to the Food and Drug Administration. Show them some of this. I'm sure they'd be interested. Where did your mother buy this? She went to a lecture last Friday at the Hotel Rhinelander. Some guy from the South Seas Dr. Armand? You know him? Mhm. We try to have one of our men cover these so-called health meetings and lectures. We've had our eye on him for some time. Now this tea is composed of ground orris root, dog grass, peppermint leaf, and Paraguay tea. It's not harmful? Well, the tea itself isn't harmful, but if anyone who's really sick takes this tea instead of going to the doctor, the result can be fatal. This is absolutely worthless as a cure for any known illness. What about testimonials? Now, this guy showed my mother some pretty convincing letters. Well, that's what the quack uses for bait, and they're just as phony as the medicine. Now, some quacks write their own, others buy them. And some people write testimonials in good faith when they think they've been cured or will be cured. One investigation by the American Medical Association showed that some of the people who wrote the testimonials died before their letters appeared in print of the disease that they thought would cure it. And we have had the same experience investigating these quack treatments. Well, this Dr. Armand is making false claims and peddling phony medicine. Why don't you arrest him? Well, first we have to prove that the stuff is being sold across state lines. If it isn't, then we turn the case over to the state authorities to handle. But if it is, then we prepare a case against him for violation of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. And then we turn all this information over to the United States Attorney for presentation in the Federal court. Then they take over. I didn't realize there was so much to it. As a result of all this, I'm doing a paper on quacks and nostrums. And I'm just beginning to see the amount of work that goes into protecting people from them. Well, we're only one agency that protects the public. If it would help, I'd be glad to show you around a bit. It might give you an idea what we're doing. Well, if you've got time, that'd be great. Well, let's go. What is it? It's as phony as they come. Believe me, we get some mighty queer so-called therapeutic devices around here. This one doesn't do anything. Here, let me show you. You wear it this way when you go to bed. This end fits into a pan of water. Of course, you must lie with your head pointed to magnetic north and your body parallel with the magnetic field. Even a little compass was included in this deal. The thing's supposed to pick up magnetic forces, huh? That's right. Supposed to do all sorts of wonderful things for you. And people actually bought it? Just as fast as this guy could make them. The only trouble was the quack who dreamed it up made the mistake of sending literature about it through the mail. And a customer complained to the post office department. Now, when the people in the post office department find someone using the mails to defraud, they call them in to answer charges. Well, that's one outfit it doesn't pay to fool around with. What do they do? They can publish a fraud order against the individual, which stops mail from being delivered to him and cuts off his revenue. They can also consider the possibility of criminal prosecution. Medical investigation in post office cases is handled by our Bureau of Medicine. Can anyone make a complaint? Absolutely, if it's in writing. Any person who discovers one of these fake health schemes and reports it is doing a real service. A lot depends on what claims are actually made for a product, doesn't it? Ah, now you're getting into labeling. Mislabeling or misbranding is a very serious offense. We keep a file of drug labels. Now, labels on drugs are very important. We see that they state what the medicine is recommended for, the dosage, how often to take it, and for how long, whether it's recommended for children, and when it should not be taken. Now, according to the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, drugs must comply with certain standards. Now, for some drugs, the label sets the standard. It tells what ingredients are present. And for others, the formula set forth in the US Pharmacopoeia and the National Formulary. Now, drugs described in these official books are known as official drugs, and they don't need a list of ingredients on the label. But they do have to contain the exact ingredients specified in the official text. If they differ in strength, quality, or purity, the label has to say so. Now, we examine thousands of product samples each year, concentrating on those manufacturers whose products we have learned from experience do not always meet the required standards. What about drugs that you get by prescription? Well, nowadays there are many powerful drugs that are not safe to take without a doctor's supervision. And under federal law, they cannot be sold without a prescription. Now, these drugs are not labeled the same as those consumers can buy on their own. But you can rely upon your doctor and your pharmacist. They're both professionally trained men. A druggist must have received training at an accredited college. Now, drug stores have an important place in our health services. And they can be very useful if you just remember to follow your doctor's advice, not expect the druggist to prescribe for you, and to check your labels carefully. And be mighty skeptical about anything that claims to be a cure-all or is advertised to do more than the label says it will. A great part of our job, of course, is ensuring that foods are pure and wholesome and made under sanitary conditions and so forth, but since you're writing about quacks and nostrums, we'll stay with medical things. Now, this is a sample taken from a batch of coal tar dye. It's used in certain cosmetics. Now, our job is to make sure that it's one of the certifiable dyes, recognized as safe for use, and taken from a certifiable batch. Now, these are samples taken from manufacturers' batches of insulin and antibiotic drugs. We test them for purity and potency before they're sold. Of course, new drugs are always coming along, and we make sure that they've been tested and found to be safe before they're put on the market. And if I ever get wind of a character like Alika Kaho Mana again, I won't lose any time reporting him. Good. Tell your mother the wisest thing is to see a family doctor, not rely on something sold by a high-powered lecturer. I'll tell her, and thanks. But, Mom, listen. Uh I'm sure that those government people are experts at their work, but ever since I've been taking Mr. Kaho Mana's tea, I've felt simply wonderful. Why, I never knew that a remedy could be so effective. Why, I haven't been having my usual attacks at all. Now, why is that if it isn't because of Mr. Kaho Mana's tea? Well, you've got to admit that your mother's been looking and feeling wonderful since she started taking the tea. Larry, maybe those government people don't really know. I mean, I know they're sincere and all that, but well, you can see the difference. Oh, for Pete's sake. I just don't get it, Doctor. Every time I ask her how she's feeling, it's fine, just fine. And yet the FDA said the stuff is absolutely no good. And she does seem to be feeling better the past few weeks. It It just doesn't make sense to me. It's possible, Aaron, that your mother wasn't really sick at all. Many of the people that quacks claim to have cured weren't sick in the first place. Sometimes, of course, some of the symptoms disappear by themselves for a while. The pain and the disturbance are gone temporarily. And the patient decides that he's been cured until the symptoms reappear. But we have the assurance of the FDA that the tea is harmless, which is something to be thankful for. We'll just have to wait to see if your mother's symptoms return. Well, how's the investigation coming along? What about quacks and nostrums? Oh, fine, Doctor. I had no idea we were such suckers about our health. And I didn't know so much was being done to protect us against quacks and fake medicine. Look at these pamphlets the Better Business Bureau sent me. Oh. Yes, they do a fine job, too. I found out that they have over 100 offices handling all kinds of complaints. When they get a report on a quack or fake medicine or device, they're right in there quick. And don't forget the American Medical Association. It's Bureau of Investigation has the most complete file in existence of such things as quacks and nostrums. They act as sort of clearinghouse for information of that kind. Hm. Well, what's next on the agenda? The Federal Trade Commission, tomorrow afternoon. I've learned that it's easy to get reliable information about health products and services, but I'd like to know about health information that comes to us from advertising. That's what we call commercial health information. It's a mighty big business. Millions of dollars are spent to advertise health products, vitamin pills, nerve pills, and all kinds of pills and other medicines for all kinds of aches and pains. You see, sometimes the advertising can be deceptive. And if the product is sold or advertised in interstate commerce, that's where the Federal Trade Commission comes in. In some cases, if the advertising is inaccurate for things like cosmetics, deodorants, and hair tonics, and so forth, people might use the product in ways that could injure their health. Inaccurate? Aren't they actually lying? Well, some ads don't really make any claims at all. They just seem to. Tricky wording is what does it. Some advertisers deal in glittering generalities. Others use the plain folks line of approach. Then there's the splashy bandwagon type of ad. But many deal in out and out false claims. What action do you take when you find that false or deceptive advertising has been used? Well, the commission issues a complaint against them, and if the charge is approved, orders them to stop the advertising. If they want to protest the order, or if they violate it, the FTC is ready to fight the case in the courts. I see. Better get some of this down. I know, Larry, but I think you're going overboard on this report. Well, Dr. Evans doesn't think so, and he ought to know. Mom? Oh, Mom. Larry, would you please come here right away? Alan, you'll find Dr. Evans' number on the desk. Tell him to get over here as fast as he can. What is it, doctor? I can't be sure till we get it to the hospital and take some x-rays, but I strongly suspect that it's gallbladder trouble. It's easy to see how she was fooled into thinking that fake medicine would cure her. First, those bilious attacks, then a period of apparent normalcy. It's fairly typical. But, I wouldn't worry, Larry. She'll be back on her feet before long, really cured this time. Well, I'll get an ambulance and phone the hospital to make arrangements. Hi, how's the convalescent? Oh, I'm just fine. Hello, Helen, dear. How are you? I'm very well, thanks. Good. You're looking better every day. Oh, thank you. I don't want to rub it in, but I thought you'd like to see what's happened to your Mr. Kahuna Mana. He's been indicted by the grand jury for violating the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Oh. When I think of all the men and women who could be seriously ill going to a man like that, a man who's only interested in their money, I can't be sorry that he's going to jail. People who should go to a doctor could go on believing in a fake like him until well, until it was too late. You were lucky. But, he seemed so honest and sincere. Gloria. Gloria. Gloria. Gloria. Gloria. Gloria. Gloria. Gloria. Gloria. Gloria. Gloria.