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829 FIG. 1. IMPUDENT QUACKS AND THE NAME OF THE LANCET. SOME time since we received a courteous letter from Dr. W. Irving, honorary secretary of the Canterbury Section of the New Zealand Branch of the British Medical Association, forwarding to us " a copy of an advertisement which is E being circulated in New Zealand and which is attached to R , each bottle of the Lancet Influenza Cure.’" We append below a reproduction of a portion of the cardboard case THE LANCET containing the bottle (Fig. 1) and also the circular CU sent to us by our correspondent (Fig. 2). It will be noticed that, although figures of a lancet and of a stethoscope are printed above, the type and general appearance would lead readers to infer that the quack INFLUENZA "remedy" in question had the sanction and recommen- N dation of this journal, especially when taken* in conjunction with the words, "introduced and prescribed by Sir William Broadbent," &c., &c., &c., who, of course, has not in any way sanctioned the use of his name. We thereupon wrote CURE. to our in New him to LUE representative Zealand, requesting put CUREI himself in communication with the firm whose name was F stamped upon the circulars. This he accordingly did and N Introduced and received the following replies :- t Prescribed by w KEMPTHORNE, PROSSER AND CO.’S Broad N.Z. DRUG CO., LTD., T William Physican Wellington, N.Z., July 30th, 1902. , Extraordinary DEAR further reference to letter of the 14th inst. con- LU to H M the Queen SIR,-In your Sir ,..., a called " Lancet" Influenza we have been cerning preparation Cure, C Physician 111 Ordinary to informed by our Head Office in Dunedin that a preparation so called has n.R.H. the Prince of Wales. been put up by our Christchurch House. N Our Head Office is now taking this matter up, and we hope in a few days to be able to send you advice, which we trust will be perfectly A I Dose Prevents. satisfactory to yourself, and also to your London friends. In the meantime, L We beg to remain, dear Sir, 3 Doses Cure Yours truly, Infallibly Kempthorne, Prosser, and Co.’s E DOSE New Zealand Drug Company, Limited. Two every eight bours. ROBERT E. tablespoonfuls (Signed) WOOD, Manager. H Children, half quantity. Wellington, N.Z., August 4th, 1902. DEAR SIR,-Confirming our communication of the 30th ulto. con- eerning your letter respecting a preparation called the " Lancet PRICE 2/- Influenza Cure," and our intimation that the line is put up by our we to state that we are now in from Christchurch House, beg receipt To be obtained from ail Wholesale our Head Office of further advice in this connection. Our Head Office " desires us to point out that the term Lancet " refers to the apd Retail Chemists. Instrument. The term is registered, and the registration is accom- panied by a sketch of the instrument as a trade mark. We might Fie. 2. A INFLUENZAN F L N NZA ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::;:::::::::INFLUENZA NF L, NZ Ai ) ———————————————————————————————————————— - A Catarrhal Affec- Contagious insidious tion of the That insidious disease, Influenza, withWith Respiratory tract, ::::::::: all its both attended allconsequences, immediate and with much prostration, is occurring for the most part in remote, wide-spread Epidemics. our Midst. ::::::::: AGENTSEN The symptoms are too well-known to ::::::;:: AG.:.:.. need amplification of description. ;::;::;:: of lassitude, pains over the ::::::::: theThe LANCET forehead, disinclination for According to Drs. Squire, Bristowe, :::$::: bodil or ment exertion of whatever duration of Gull, Clarke, and others, the ::;:;:;:: i he loins, attended the varied fromfrom thethree toto a complaintClark varied ’ daysdays h a cold in the betrays tortnight. :.:.:.:.: ’K’:’F m Under the most recent and effective *** treatment and regime prescribed by Sir .::::: . ::::::::: Wm. the diseasedisease is aborted in Broadbent, mtroduced.... andd,, ::::;;::; The LLancet anceancet its initiatory stageand and its initiatory stage I.t,.d...d and i,t, Within Twenty-four hours the INFLUENZA CURE Patient has regained his normal ... I Physician condition of health. Ext,,oor d i-na7*Y the bacilli Sir the Queen. to;:::::::; by acting directly upon inspir- The Lancet InfluenzaInfluenza. Cure is infallible :::::::;: Physician in Ordinay to :;::::::; ated into the system, and eliminating them H.R.H the Prince Wales. in its action, and as stated three doses effect :;::;;;:; of therefrom proves a specific of immeasurable "3 complete cure. I Dose Prevents. value, and effects It is, and can be, exhibited in cases of Doses A Radical Cure Quinsy, Diphtheria, Malarial Fevers, all 3 Infallibly Cure. ,Zymotic and Enteric diseases with absolute DOSE-Two::::::::: tablespoonfuls every eight hours. Children, half quantity. within enty-four hours. hours. and effects a marvellous restora- twenty-four impunit.y, ;-:’:’:-: PRICE 2/- to in compartively short . j periodtion ofhealth :: ::,.,_ IT NEYERNEVER FAILS. 830 state that in the advertisement also appears a diagram of the instrument. You will understand therefore that the term "Lancet" has no connexion whatever with the London journal. of which you UNIVERSITY OF LONDON : FACULTY OF are the representative in the colony, and we trust that you will take MEDICINE. the earliest opportunity of advising the proprietors to this effect. We are, dear sir, yours truly, and Co.’s Kempthorne. Prosser, INTENDING students of medicine, or their on their New Zealand Drug Company, Limited. parents (Signed) ROBERT E. WOOD, Manager. behalf, will naturally seek for information as to the extent of London It will be noticed that Messrs. Kempthorne, Prosser, and to which the reconstitution of the University has of education and examination in Co. have, as we anticipated, shielded themselves under the modified the conditions sketch of the instrument which they have artfully inserted the Faculty of Medicine. In the Students’ Number of in the advertisement. What sort of connexion there is to THE LANCET (August 30th, 1902, p. 576) there are set a as illustration be assumed between lancet depicted in the out extracts from the official to the- and the treatment of influenza is difficult to regulations relating imagine-the in medicine which are issued the be .of service but is not alluded to degrees by University. stethoscope might perhaps The careful reader of these them in the title of the Influenza its introduction extracts, comparing Cure " ; indeed, with those in the Students’ Number last would foil the real intention which we have no hesitation published year, will find no as the in is to off the "medicine" under a practically change, except regards saying pass quack matriculation examination, the revised regulations for guarantee, as it were, of the title of this paper. Messrs. which are set out below. If he has also been Prosser, and Co. have made a most unwarrant- fully Kempthorne, a careful reader of the medical the able use-or rather abuse-of the name of THE LANCET. press during lung of that the reconstitution If any similar were made in this country we period agitation preceded attempt of the the fact that so little has. should at once to set in motion the power of University, change proceed been made will cause him some if not dis- the law, and we have no doubt whatever that we should surprise Further consideration will perhaps indicate promptly be enabled to stop such a scandalous use of our appointment. that slow progress in was from the nature title, but it is obviously difficult for us to take timely and effecting changes of the case to be expected and will in the end prove advan- effective proceedings in the very distant colony of New tageous. In an conservative country like England Zealand. Of this, of course, the drug vendors are aware. essentially it is inevitable, in order that sufficient energy should be Sir William Broadbent has been so good as to send us a generated to effect a reform, especially a reform in connexion copy of his correspondence with Messrs. with that the evils to be removed and the benefits Kempthorne, ’ education, Prosser, and Co., which is as follows :- to be anticipated should be loudly proclaimed by those pro- Dunedin, 24th July, 1902. moting legislation. It is also necessary for the promoters of legislation to take advantage of any added power that may KEMPTHORNE, PROSSER & CO.’S be gained by associating in the movement reformers who do NEW ZEALAND DRUG COMPANY, LIMITED, not entirely appreciate that the particular change they Dunedin, Wellington, Christchurch, Auckland. desire will not be directly brought about by the legislation Cable Address: Cremation. proposed. A want of appreciation of these facts is leading Sir William H. Broadbent, to a good deal of discontent and to a certain amount of mio- 84, Brook-street, directed medical teachers in the London. energy amongst University. Grosvenor-square, A careful examination of the position of affairs will enable SiR,-We have the honour to your letter of 27th acknowledge May an estimate to be made of the of out in last, as under:- prospect carrying due course wise reforms in medical education now that a, To Messrs Prosser & Co. Kempthorne, complete teaching university is established. In the first " SIRS,-I call upon you to desist at once from using an advertise- it must be admitted that for all ment of a so-called influenza cure in which my name appears. The place, practical purposes, use of my name in connexion with this cure is a fraud upon the so far as the Faculty of Medicine was concerned, the un- public and a gross insult to me.

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