“Just about six years ago I had a severe attack of La Grippe which almost killed me. Left me with Asthma (Catarrh) and a severe cough. Did not get out of the house for three months. Took over a dozen bottles McArthur’s Hypophos.—came out all right and since then worked hard, but last Fall took another cold, but worked on, used McArthur’s Hypophos., am using it now, am on my 12th bottle.
“I have five or six patients whom I have put on McArthur’s Hypophos., but I do not prescribe the single bottle, but wholesale no less than half dozen bottles. One patient is on his 24th bottle with orders to get another half dozen and keep it up all winter. I have given the same order to all (keep it up all winter) and I myself intend to do the same, for with its use I have lost no time—rain or shine I am doing my work. I know what it has done for me and what it is doing for my patients.”
It would be hard to find a more characteristic example of the naïve mental processes of the simple folk who in all good faith write testimonials for worthless medicines. This well-meaning practitioner (a homeopath, by the way), because he “came out all right” after an attack of grip, returns all praise to McArthur’s Hypophosphites, which he has taken “wholesale.” Not the faintest doubt of the validity of his post hoc ergo propter hoc argument seems to glimmer across his consciousness.
McArthur’s Syrup of the Hypophosphites is an irrational preparation. While its faults are fewer and less glaring than those of some other proprietaries, the circulation of such a testimonial as the one just quoted is sufficient of itself to cast suspicion on the product.
BORCHERDT’S MALT OLIVE WITH HYPOPHOSPHITES, MALTZYME WITH HYPOPHOSPHITES AND MALTINE WITH OLIVE OIL AND HYPOPHOSPHITES
These preparations are now described in the appendix to New and Nonofficial Remedies. Borcherdt’s Malt Olive with Hypophosphites (Borcherdt Malt Extract Company, Chicago) is said to contain in each 100 c.c., 0.64 gm. each of calcium and sodium hypophosphites, with malt extract, olive oil and glycerine. Maltzyme with Hypophosphites (Malt-Diastase Company, New York) is said to contain, in each 100 c.c., 0.4 gm. each of calcium, sodium and potassium hypophosphites and 0.005 gm. each of iron and manganese hypophosphites, with maltzyme. Maltine with Hypophosphites (Maltine Company, Brooklyn, N. Y.) is said to contain in each 100 c.c., 0.64 gm. each of calcium and sodium hypophosphites and 0.42 gm. of iron hypophosphite, with maltine. Maltine with Olive Oil and Hypophosphites (Maltine Company, Brooklyn, N. Y.) is said to contain, in each 100 c.c., 0.6 gm. each of calcium and sodium hypophosphites, with maltine and olive oil. In general, no therapeutic claims are made for these mixtures so far as the hypophosphites are concerned. The addition of hypophosphites to such mixtures is irrational and, since it tends to perpetuate the hypophosphite fallacy, detrimental to sound therapeutics.
THE COUNCIL’S ACTION
The Council endorsed the conclusions of the work of Dr. Marriott referred to above, and noted: (1) that the therapeutic use of hypophosphites (except possibly in some cases as a convenient means of administering the positive element in the salt, as ammonium in ammonium hypophosphite or calcium in calcium hypophosphite) is irrational; (2) that the merits of each hypophosphite salt submitted for consideration under the foregoing exception must be judged individually, and (3) that Fellows’ Syrup of Hypophosphites, Peters’ Syrupus Roborans, Schlotterbeck’s Solution Hypophosphites of Lime and Soda, Robinson’s Hypophosphites, the Eupeptic Hypophosphites of Nelson, Baker & Co., and McArthur’s Syrup of the Hypophosphites are ineligible for inclusion in New and Nonofficial Remedies, and that Borcherdt’s Malt Olive with Hypophosphites, Maltzyme with Hypophosphites, Maltine with Hypophosphites, and Maltine with Olive Oil and Hypophosphites be deleted from the appendix of N. N. R. Of these preparations, all are in conflict with Rule 10; Fellows’ Syrup, Schlotterbeck’s Solution, Robinson’s Hypophosphites and Nelson, Baker & Co.’s Eupeptic Hypophosphites are in conflict with Rule 6; the Fellows, Schlotterbeck, and Nelson, Baker preparations are also in conflict with Rule 1.—(From The Journal A. M. A., Sept. 2, 1916.)