About 1912 the name of the concern seems to have been changed, for we have in our files a letter addressed to a layman on the stationery of the “Mark White Goitre Treatment Company.” According to this letterhead the product this concern had for sale was “Goitreine” discovered by Mark White, “President and General Manager.” Mr. White’s letter to the sufferer from goiter assured him that if he would take “Goitreine” he might “be practically sure of an immediate and permanent cure.” “Goitreine,” according to White, “has absolutely and permanently cured 90 per cent.” of all cases of goiter in which it has been used—“and the other ten showed remarkable improvement.” It was efficacious for all forms of goiter and “cannot possibly harm.”
The person who received this assurance might have had his confidence in it shaken had he seen a copy of the Denver News for May 23, 1911, in which was reported a case of collapse and death in a woman following an injection given in White’s office. The paper stated that the death certificate was signed by one W. A. Gray and gave “fatty degeneration of the heart and goiter” as the cause of death. Gray, it seems, was the licensed physician employed by Mark White to administer “Goitreine”—if that is what White happened to be calling his product at that time. For here it may be stated, parenthetically, that Mark White is not a physician; he is a veterinarian.
In February, 1913, Mark White sent a circular letter to a number of medical publications with the request that it be printed in full in the next issue, “to cover one full page of space.” The letter White wanted printed was addressed to doctors offering to “enter into a copartnership agreement” with such physicians who would be willing to treat “patients with goiter affections on a 50 per cent. commission basis.”
“You would be expected to make a cash charge to the patient for the treatment, remitting on the same day our 50 per cent. to us, when ordering the treatment, giving the treatment in no cases for less than $50.00.”
About the same time that Mark White made this “fifty-fifty” offer, he sent in an advertisement to be published in the classified column of The Journal. At that time he was told his advertisement was not acceptable; we now reprint it, however, free of charge. Here it is:
“WANTED—ONE OR MORE PHYSICIANS
in each vicinity to administer and represent our new medical treatment for GOITER. Good margin of profit. Write for copy of contract. The Mark White Goitre Treatment Co., Denver, Colo.”
In 1914, White moved to Chicago. At least the card which we reproduce so indicates. At that time, as will be seen, “Dr. Mark White” was “personally associated” with Peter S. Clark, M.D. According to the same card Dr. F. D. Paul of Rock Island, Ill., seems to have been his “associate” for that particular locality. In this connection, it is worth noting that a Rock Island paper, in one of its issues during July, 1913, devoted a good deal of space to “Dr. Mark White” who was at that time in Rock Island “directing Dr. Frank D. Paul in the administering of the treatment.” There was nothing to indicate that this notice was an advertisement or that the editorial appearing in the same issue puffing White’s “important cure,” was paid for.
When exploited from Denver the Mark White “goiter cure” was advertised in the daily papers. Here is a photographic reproduction (reduced) of an advertisement that appeared in the Denver Post, Sept. 1, 1912.