Of course Sanatogen, being composed largely of casein, has some food value. What that food value is may be seen by the accompanying table which compares the yield of energy for Sanatogen with that of a number of staple food products, the figures for the latter having been adapted from Professor Atwater’s calculations. This table shows that, from the standpoint of economy in the purchase of energy, no other food in the list is so poor as Sanatogen. While the manufacturers claim that “Sanatogen contains over 700 per cent. more tissue-building, life-sustaining nourishment than wheat flour,” the table shows that one dollar’s worth of wheat flour contains as much energy as one hundred and ninety-seven dollars’ worth of Sanatogen!
AN INQUIRY
Like all “patent medicines,” Sanatogen is exploited by the testimonial route. Actors, authors, politicians and not a few physicians—the latter, to the credit of the American profession, be it said, being chiefly Europeans—have testified to the wonderful properties of this product. Believing that it would be of interest to learn what scientific men thought of Sanatogen a letter of inquiry was written to several men whose training particularly fits them to express an impartial opinion on a question of this kind. The following inquiry, expressed in practically the same words, was propounded:
Is it possible for a product, even if it has the composition claimed for Sanatogen, to have properties as a food and medicine which are claimed for this preparation?
The replies to this inquiry are interesting and instructive, although they are what might have been expected from men whose judgment has not been warped by the glittering claims of the Sanatogen publicity agents.
Some of the reasons for the sale of Sanatogen! A few specimen advertisements of Sanatogen’s enormously expensive advertising campaign.
THE REPLIES
Dr. Lewellys F. Barker, professor of medicine, Johns Hopkins University, medical department, says in part: