Therefore it seems that Formamint fails, as any such germicide would be expected to fail, to kill bacteria in the crypts and recesses of the throat, for when dissolved in the mouth it cannot reach and remain in contact with the organisms long enough to kill them before it is swallowed.
SUMMARY
Summed up, the investigation shows:
1. That the claims made for Formamint are extravagant and misleading.
2. That the recommendations for the use of these tablets may be, in some cases, fraught with danger and are a menace, not only to the health of the individual, but also to the safety of the community.
3. That the claim that Formamint is a definite chemical compound is false.
4. That the use of Formamint may produce marked irritation of the intestinal tract.
5. That Formamint is not a throat disinfectant, as the manufacturers maintain, but its action on the bacteria of the throat is an almost negligible one and dependence on Formamint for the prevention of infection and for curing disease is not only unwise but dangerous.
6. That Formamint conflicts with the rules of the Council. False statements are made with regard to its composition (Rule 1); grossly unwarranted claims are made for its therapeutic properties (Rule 6), and therefore its exploitation to the public (Rules 3 and 4) is a public danger.
It is recommended that this report be published, to call attention not only to the falsity of the claims made for, and the danger in the use of, Formamint, but also to emphasize the utter inefficiency of all such methods of “disinfecting” the throat.—(From The Journal A. M. A., Aug. 28, 1915.)