“The Actions of Drugs.—Torald Sollmann, M.D. Published by W. B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia. This is a book of lectures designed for students in pharmacy and deals with the subject in plain and simple language. The author in his introduction has brought out the fact that over-counter prescribing is baneful both to the public and to the pharmacist himself. Among some of the interesting points brought out that Pharmacol Advance has always maintained, namely, that ‘Potassium iodid is not absorbed efficiently by the skin; hence the ointment of potassium iodid is unscientific.’
“We would especially call attention to Ungt. Iodi U. S. P., containing Potassium Iodid, used as a solvent for its iodin content. Accepting Sollmann’s statement, it is to be assumed that Ungt. Iodi U. S. P. has not 100 per cent. efficiency.”
Garbling statements from scientific works for the purpose of puffing proprietaries is not unusual in nostrum exploitation. The facts are that the statement in Sollmann’s book, introduced in the Menley and James house organ under the guise of a book review, appeared in a discussion of iodin compounds. In this the author points out that to obtain systemic iodid effects, it is irrational to apply iodin preparations externally. So far as the free iodin content of the official ointment of iodin is concerned, L. E. Warren (Reports of the A. M. A. Chemical Laboratory, 1917) has shown that even after more than six months this ointment still contains about 75 per cent. of the free iodin originally added. The official ointment (Unguentum Iodi, U. S. P.), therefore, so far as its free iodin content is concerned, is far superior to Iodex, which contains no iodin in its free state.—(From The Journal A. M. A., May 3, 1919.)
THE WILLIAM F. KOCH CANCER REMEDY
A number of inquiries have been received of which those that follow are typical. This from a Philadelphia physician:
“Would you give me any information you have about one so-called ‘Dr. W. S. Koch,’ Detroit, Michigan? This man is said to claim to have in his possession a cure for cancer, the nature of which I do not know. I know, however, that he obtained a very large fee not very long ago in treating a case, but without success ...”
While a Chicago physician writes:
“I have at hand a pamphlet from Wm. F. Koch, M.D., Ph.D., of Detroit, Mich., which is supposed to be a reprint from the Medical Record of Oct. 30, 1920, entitled ‘A New and Successful Diagnosis and Treatment of Cancer.’ Will you kindly advise me what you know about this man’s work on this subject and how much stock I can put in the claims he makes in this article?”