The complete apparatus, including 2 ounces of Intravenous Compound (Loffler), sells for $24. What is Intravenous Compound? Apparently, nobody knows except Charles L. Loffler, who asks physicians to inject—and we regret to say some are injecting—this nostrum of unknown composition into the veins of their patients. To a physician who had raised the point of secrecy Loffler wrote in part:
“I am sure that you will agree with me that it is far better to place this treatment in the hands of competent physicians, such as Dr. Witherstine, and many more whose names I will gladly send you, and to protect the honest and competent doctor who investigates and takes up the work, than to publish the formula and give to the unscrupulous a chance to try to make the product and no doubt to claim to cure disease that is beyond hope. The formula is not kept secret for profit ... but is so kept upon the advice of a number of good men who have the interest of the doctor at heart.... I am willing and anxious to place the product and the results in thousands of cases before the A. M. A. on the one condition that the formula shall be kept secret for the benefit of the reputable physician.”
In another letter written more recently to a physician who called attention to the secrecy of the nostrum, Loffler wrote:
“The Intravenous Compound contains approximately 58 per cent. oxygen, 12 per cent. chlorine, 16 per cent. potassium, 9 per cent. sodium and 5 per cent. boron. I have no hesitancy in giving it, and it was due to an incompetent man in this office that this was not given fully in the booklet. He made the changes without my consent and has caused me to answer many inquiries by physicians.”
A seeming frankness is a trick as old as nostrum exploitation itself. Loffler’s “formula” is meaningless. A quack who was putting out a mixture of 1 part baking soda and 2 parts common salt might with equal frankness say that his marvelous combination contained approximately 35.4 per cent. sodium, 4.8 per cent. carbon, 19 per cent. oxygen, 40.4 per cent. chlorin, and 0.4 per cent. hydrogen.
In order that the profession might know more about this product a specimen was turned over to the A. M. A. Chemical Laboratory for analysis. Here is what the chemists report:
CHEMISTS’ REPORT
“One original 2 ounce bottle of ‘Intravenous Compound (Loffler) for Intravenous Use’ was submitted to the Association’s Chemical Laboratory for examination. According to the label, the product is sold by the ‘Intravenous Chemical Co., Chicago.’ The bottle contained a white granular substance, which appeared as if the ingredients had been fused together. The product responded to tests for sodium, potassium, chlorate, borate and nitrate. As this same set of chemical radicals was found by Puckner and Hilpert (J. A. M. A., May 22, 1908, p. 1706) to be present in ‘Oxychlorin’ and ‘Zyme-oid,’ a quantitative comparison of ‘Intravenous Compound (Loffler)’ was made.
“The analysis indicated that all three products are essentially the same: