vince the average layman that a reputable physician never advertises his skill, and those who do are often men without any medical education whatever.

While it is true that by far the majority of victims of quacks belong to the more ignorant classes, the frequent complaints which reached the writer from college men induced him to ascertain what steps, if any, had been taken by the Post Office Department to prevent imposition and fraud. For this purpose he examined the fraud order files of the Assistant Attorney General's Office of that Department covering a period of two years, and found some of the most glaring and shameful cases on record. It is clearly in the interest of humanity that a few abstracts of cases should be published for the lesson they convey.

MEMORANDUM FROM THE ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE OF THE POSTMASTER GENERAL.

"In re Boston Medical Institute F. L. Hibbard, E. R. Hibbard, Belvue Medical Institute, B. Norton, B. Newton, Chicago, Illinois. *** The Boston Medical Institute is engaged in conducting a mail order business for the medical treatment of private diseases of men. * * * Patients are secured mainly by the local distribution of pamphlets calling attention to those conditions of men which the institute pretends to treat and urging those so afflicted to write to the institute for the treatment. This advertising matter is obviously prepared to excite alarm and fear in the minds of those reading it and in anywise feeling themselves in need of such treatment as is offered, and especially on the part of uninformed young men of the more or less ignorant class, who appear to form the considerable part of the institute's patients. These pamphlets the Inspectors learned are distributed at the rate of at least a million a year. The extent to which the business is operated is also indicated by the report of the Postmaster that an average of 250 letters a day is delivered to these parties. These booklets could not be sent through the mails because of their obscene nature and the Department has excluded them upon this ground.

"Among the solicitations to obtain patients are promises that they will have the benefit of the services of skilled specialists renowned in this country and abroad * * * that the institute will guarantee absolutely to cure them or refund all money paid, and generally that patients will be furnished by this institute with services and treatment superior to that procurable elsewhere. In truth, the cases of patients do not have the benefit of consideration by skilled specialists, nor are they considered by

a staff of specialists. In fact the only physician who considers these cases is a Dr. Edmonston, who is shown by the investigations of the Inspectors to be a man of mediocre ability, who is not recognized as a specialist and is without standing in his profession. * * *

"Patients are not furnished with frank opinions upon their cases, but are fraudulently led to buy treatment, when the institute recognizes their cases to be of such a nature as to make it impossible for it to give any treatment of value to such persons by mail will be shown by the evidence stated hereafter.

"That the promise to refund the money of uncured patients is not honestly intended to be fulfilled, but it is instead the intention to make the matter of refund a subject of controversy with patients and ultimately to refuse absolutely to return the money, will also be shown by the evidence to be stated later. The true value of the treatment furnished by this concern to the unfortunates who seek its services can be appreciated not only from the standing of its hired physician, but also from the number of complaints made to the Department by young men that, after being treated for several years for what were largely in the beginning imaginary complaints, they found themselves at last in unfortunate conditions that demanded careful services of competent physicians. The actual methods employed in the conduct of this business can best be appreciated from an examination of a few of the complaints made to the Department in this matter."

Assistant Attorney General R. M. Webster then submits the evidence in a number of cases, of which the following is reproduced:

of

"J. W. S His complaint shows that in June, 1904, when he was about 19 or 20 years of age, he was influenced by the advertising literature of the Boston Medical Institute to seek treatment from it through the mails for occasional slight emissions. Such condition in a healthy young man of the age of Mr. Sat that time is entirely

normal. This concern, however, represented to Mr. Sthat he was in a serious state, suffering from sexual debility and in need of immediate and the most skilled attention. Quoting the language of the institute to S he was advised that his case had been carefully considered by the institute staff of specialists who had decided that he was suffering from spermatorrhea, passive congestion of the kidneys, partial impotency and nervous debility, and he was informed that unless he speedily obtained energetic and well-directed treatment the inevitable result will be, not only a breakdown of the general nervous system but a complete extinction of the sexual powers themselves." He was further

told, "We are pleased, however, to state that, if you at once begin an efficient medical treatment, we do hereby absolutely guarantee your ultimate restoration to perfect health or refund of every dollar paid to us in fee, and it is our belief that the same can be brought about in from 21⁄2 to 4 months."

Service and medicines were offered for $10.00 for the first month and $8.00 for each of the succeeding months.

"Mr. S complains that he treated with this institute for 23. months, at the end of which time his health was completely wrecked and he was compelled to go to his physician for attention. This physician was seen by the Inspectors and reports that S's condition was most lamentable when he received the case.

"While S

was told at the commencement that he would probably be cured in from 21⁄2 to 4 months, correspondence sent him by the institute reveals the fact that, to persuade him to continue the treatment for the two years that he did, he was from time to time advised that his progress was entirely satisfactory, that he was constantly improving, and that, if he would but continue the treatment a little longer, he would be ultimately completely cured. Here follow extracts from a few of these letters which are quite significant. On August 16, 1905, when he had been under treatment a year, Swas advised, "We are very well pleased with the improvement in your condition * * * and if you will keep on with the treatment a little longer, these symptoms will also disappear and you will leave our care a healthy and vigorous man, and in full possession of strength and power to enjoy life." On December 25th, 1905, he was advised: "We are glad to see that you are improving so nicely and assure you that, if you continue to be regular as before, it will not take long to finish the treatment." On January 20th, 1906, he was persuaded to continue the treatment by a reduction of the prices as follows: "As you have been a faithful observer of our rules, we will reduce the price to $7.00 per month.” * * * On March 28th he was advised that he was progressing very nicely indeed "and that if he would continue the cure is (not) far distant."

"Mr. S continued the treatment up through June, 1906, when he finally became convinced that the institute was not curing him and was only injuring his health and securing more money from him without giving him any real benefit. He therefore demanded the return of his money in accordance with the promise and guaranty made to him that if he was not cured his money would be refunded. The letter of the company written him in reply to this demand, which is dated June 26th, 1906, refuses him his money under the pretext that he had not been guaranteed

a cure in any definite time, and despite the fact that the institute had been handling his case nearly two years it had the audacity to suggest that it still felt confident that it could absolutely cure him if he would indefinitely continue the treatment. In this way and under such pretext the company refused to return him his money and has never done so. When Sattempted to press his claim for the return of his money he was advised that his "scurrilous, defaming and blackmailing letter would be placed in the hands of our attorney to prosecute you to the full extent of the law."

Other cases suffering from imaginary sexual neurasthenia, varicocele. etc., are cited and all present the same sad picture of misplaced confidence on the one hand and of avarice and depravity on the other.

aged 20

years,

One of the patients, a Mr. Hafter unsuccessful treatment demanded the return of his money, and was finally informed by the institute: "Let us tell you now that if you cause us any trouble about this matter, or try to do so, we will have good grounds against you for slander and defamation of character. We do not wish to get into any trouble with you about the matter, but if you persist in it and bring it on yourself we are sure that we will show that at the time you began the treatment you were practicing these secret masturbation habits***we will also have something to say along some other lines when you are done with all you wish to do *** we will also show you that this very letter in our possession today on this subject is a ground for blackmail on your part against us."

A fraud order was issued in this case on November 25th, 1907.

On May 5th the Assistant Attorney General wrote to the Postmaster General: "This Office is now (May 5th, 1908) in receipt of advertising literature circulated through the mails which indicates that the business is being continued under the names of Specialists Specific Co., and Mr. E. C. Albee, and that the fraud order of November 25th is thereby circumvented. A fraud order covering these addresses was issued May 5th, 1908. It is gratifying to know that E. R. Hibbard was indicted October 19th, 1907, at Chicago, convicted April 13th, 1908, sentenced to two years in Bridewell Penitentiary and fined $1,500 and costs; $10,000 bond pending motion for new trial.

MEMORANDUM FOR THE POSTMASTER GENERAL.

"In re The Appliance Company, C. Bartholomew and Box No. 337, Detroit, Michigan.

"This person is selling a medicinal appliance, being in the nature of a rubber band, for the use of men as a cure for impotency. In fact the de

vice is worthless for the purpose for which it is sold, and its use is apt to be dangerous in the hands of the unexperienced. Communication is obtained with those intended to be defrauded by means of advertisements in newspapers, the form of which is stated by Mr. Bartholomew to be substantially as follows:

"Men-don't pass this by. May we send you free information of our patent appliance, which has astonished the world and dum founded medical science for Lost Vitality. Indorsed by Physicians. Carried in vest pocket and lasts a lifetime. Appliance Co., Dept. 25, Drawer 337, Detroit, Michigan."

Samples of the advertising literature and of the device were submitted to the Treasury Department to secure the opinion of the Surgeon General of the Public Health and Marine Hospital Service as to the value of the same and the Secretary of the Treasury, under date of March 28th, 1908, submitted a report of the Marine Hospital Service, dated March 12th, 1908, which is as follows:

"The Surgeon General,

"Public Health and Marine Hospital Service.

"SIR: The Bureau Sanitary Board has the honor to report that in accordance with the Bureau order of the 9th inst., it has considered the question contained in the letter of the Postmaster General dated March 5th, 1908, as to the value of the device submitted therewith for the treatment of impotence in men, and as to the truthfulness of the representations appearing in the advertising literature of the Appliance Company which offers the above-mentioned device for sale. While impotence may rarely be attributed to moral weakness, it is practically always produced by excesses, some nervous lesion or a constitutional disease.

"It is believed by the Board that the appliance is without therapeutic value in the treatment of the underlying causes of this condition, and that the literature is misleading as it represents that the appliance will distend the sensitive nerve, stimulate nature and 'enlarge small shrunken organs to their natural size, causing them to become strong and vigorous,' whereas as a matter of fact, from its character and method of use, it would only produce constriction and promote congestion. While in this literature it is stated that drugs have never cured a single person of lost vigor, yet two prescriptions are given with the appliance for 'night emissions, gleet, premature discharge and loss of semen.'

"Prescription No. 1 is a combination of drugs frequently used by physicians in the treatment of gonorrhea and No. 2 is a compound of