W. A. Puckner, Secretary.

Angier’s Petroleum Emulsion was brought out in 1881—​that is to say, before the food-value of petroleum products had been experimentally disproved. Its advertising history well illustrates the weed-like vitality of a financially profitable therapeutic fallacy. The shifting claims made for this preparation are such good examples of the generally unreliable therapeutic pretensions of proprietary medicines—​whether of the “patent medicine” or of the “ethical proprietary” type—​that it has been deemed advisable to present a brief review of the conflicting claims made for it at various times.

A PETROLEUM PRODUCT

Angier’s Emulsion is described by the manufacturers as containing, in addition to “our specially purified Petroleum,” “the combined hypo­phos­phites of lime and soda, chemically pure glycerine, and the necessary emulsifying agents.” So far as the hypo­phos­phites are concerned, it is probably unnecessary to remark that the latest researches bring to light no evidence that they influence metabolism in the slightest degree. The Angier Chemical Company apparently accepts this view, for in its advertising stress is laid exclusively on the merits of the emulsion as a petroleum product. It is therefore proper to consider it from this point of view.

The history of the internal use of liquid petrolatum was sketched in a recent Council report.[77] As mentioned at that time, a number of petroleum products were put on the market some thirty years ago as substitutes for lard and butter. Contemporary opinions regarding the food value of such products differed widely.

There never was any scientific evidence to support the view that petroleum and its derivatives are assimilable by the animal organism. In fact, so far as we can learn, there was no scientific investigation of the problem until Randolph’s experiments in 1884. These were probably the first to demonstrate the non-absorbability of petroleum and its valuelessness as a foodstuff.

In 1899 Robert Hutchison conclusively demonstrated by experiment that petrolatum, paraffin and related products were absolutely unassailable by any of the digestive fluids, and therefore could not possibly have any food value. Various investigators later confirmed these findings.

FIRST ADVERTISED AS A “FOOD-MEDICINE”

Let us now take up the advertising history of this nostrum. In 1895 it was sold under these claims:

“... a ‘Food-Medicine’ that is far more than a substitute for cod-liver oil”;