the americanization of edward bok-第63章

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The　importing　firm　at　once　secured　an　injunction　restraining　the　seizure。　Bok　replied　by　serving　a　writ　setting　the　injunction　aside。　The　lawyers　of　the　importers　got　busy；　of　course；　but　meanwhile　the　legislator　had　taken　advantage　of　a　special　evening　session；　had　the　bill　passed；　and　induced　the　governor　to　sign　it；　the　act　taking　effect　at　once。

This　was　exactly　what　Bok　had　been　playing　for。　The　aigrettes　were　now　useless；　they　could　not　be　reshipped　to　another　State；　they　could　not　be　offered　for　sale。　The　suit　was　dropped；　and　Bok　had　the　satisfaction　of　seeing　the　entire　shipment；　valued　at　160；000；　destroyed。　He　had　not　saved　the　lives　of　the　mother…birds；　but；　at　least；　he　had　prevented　hundreds　of　American　women　from　wearing　the　hallmark　of　torture。

State　after　State　now　passed　an　aigrette…prohibition　law　until　fourteen　of　the　principal　States；　including　practically　all　the　large　cities；　fell　into　line。

Later；　the　National　Association　of　Audubon　Societies　had　introduced　into　the　United　States　Congress　and　passed　a　bill　prohibiting　the　importation　of　bird…feathers　into　the　country；　thus　bringing　a　Federal　law　into　existence。

Bok　had　won　his　fight；　it　is　true；　but　he　derived　little　satisfaction　from　the　character　of　his　victory。　His　ideal　of　womanhood　had　received　a　severe　jolt。　Women　had　revealed　their　worst　side　to　him；　and　he　did　not　like　the　picture。　He　had　appealed　to　what　he　had　been　led　to　believe　was　the　most　sacred　instinct　in　a　woman's　nature。　He　received　no　response。　Moreover；　he　saw　the　deeper　love　for　personal　vanity　and　finery　absolutely　dominate　the　mother…instinct。　He　was　conscious　that　something　had　toppled　off　its　pedestal　which　could　never　be　replaced。

He　was　aware　that　his　mother's　words；　when　he　accepted　his　editorial　position；　were　coming　terribly　true：　〃I　am　sorry　you　are　going　to　take　this　position。　It　will　cost　you　the　high　ideal　you　have　always　held　of　your　mother's　sex。　But　a　nature；　as　is　the　feminine　nature；　wholly　swayed　inwardly　by　emotion；　and　outwardly　influenced　by　an　insatiate　love　for　personal　adornment；　will　never　stand　the　analysis　you　will　give　it。〃

He　realized　that　he　was　paying　a　high　price　for　his　success。　Such　experiences　as　theseand；　unfortunately；　they　were　only　two　of　severalwere　doubtless　in　his　mind　when；　upon　his　retirement；　the　newspapers　clamored　for　his　opinions　of　women。　〃No；　thank　you；〃　he　said　to　one　and　all；　〃not　a　word。〃

He　did　not　give　his　reasons。

He　never　will。



XXX。　Cleaning　Up　the　Patent…Medicine　and　Other　Evils

In　1892　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal　announced　that　it　would　thereafter　accept　no　advertisements　of　patent　medicines　for　its　pages。　It　was　a　pioneer　stroke。　During　the　following　two　years；　seven　other　newspapers　and　periodicals　followed　suit。　The　American　people　were　slaves　to　self…medication；　and　the　patent…medicine　makers　had　it　all　their　own　way。　There　was　little　or　no　legal　regulation　as　to　the　ingredients　in　their　nostrums；　the　mails　were　wide　open　to　their　circulars；　and　the　pages　of　even　the　most　reputable　periodicals　welcomed　their　advertisements。　The　patent…medicine　business　in　the　United　States　ran　into　the　hundreds　of　millions　of　dollars　annually。　The　business　is　still　large；　then　it　was　enormous。

Into　this　army　of　deceit　and　spurious　medicines；　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal　fired　the　first　gun。　Neither　the　public　nor　the　patent…medicine　people　paid　much　attention　to　the　first　attacks。　But　as　they　grew；　and　the　evidence　multiplied；　the　public　began　to　comment　and　the　nostrum　makers　began　to　get　uneasy。

The　magazine　attacked　the　evil　from　every　angle。　It　aroused　the　public　by　showing　the　actual　contents　of　some　of　their　pet　medicines；　or　the　absolute　worthlessness　of　them。　The　Editor　got　the　Women's　Christian　Temperance　Union　into　action　against　the　periodicals　for　publishing　advertisements　of　medicines　containing　as　high　as　forty　per　cent　alcohol。　He　showed　that　the　most　confidential　letters　written　by　women　with　private　ailments　were　opened　by　young　clerks　of　both　sexes；　laughed　at　and　gossiped　over；　and　that　afterward　their　names　and　addresses；　which　they　had　been　told　were　held　in　the　strictest　confidence；　were　sold　to　other　lines　of　business　for　five　cents　each。　He　held　the　religious　press　up　to　the　scorn　of　church　members　for　accepting　advertisements　which　the　publishers　knew　and　which　he　proved　to　be　not　only　fraudulent；　but　actually　harmful。　He　called　the　United　States　Post　Office　authorities　to　account　for　accepting　and　distributing　obscene　circular　matter。

He　cut　an　advertisement　out　of　a　newspaper　which　ended　with　the　statement：

〃Mrs。　Pinkham；　in　her　laboratory　at　Lynn；　Massachusetts；　is　able　to　do　more　for　the　ailing　women　of　America　than　the　family　physician。　Any　woman；　therefore；　is　responsible　for　her　own　suffering　who　will　not　take　the　trouble　to　write　to　Mrs。　Pinkham　for　advice。〃

Next　to　this　advertisement　representing　Mrs。　Lydia　Pinkham　as　〃in　her　laboratory；〃　Bok　simply　placed　the　photograph　of　Mrs。　Pinkham's　tombstone　in　Pine　Grove　Cemetery；　at　Lynn；　showing　that　Mrs。　Pinkham　had　passed　away　twenty…two　years　before！

It　was　one　of　the　most　effective　pieces　of　copy　that　the　magazine　used　in　the　campaign。　It　told　its　story　with　absolute　simplicity；　but　with　deadly　force。

The　proprietors　of　〃Mrs。　Winslow's　Soothing　Syrup〃　had　strenuously　denied　the　presence　of　morphine　in　their　preparation。　Bok　simply　bought　a　bottle　of　the　syrup　in　London；　where；　under　the　English　Pharmacy　Act；　the　authorities　compelled　the　proprietors　of　the　syrup　to　affix　the　following　declaration　on　each　bottle：　〃This　preparation；　containing；　among　other　valuable　ingredients；　a　small　amount　of　morphine　is；　in　accordance　with　the　Pharmacy　Act；　hereby　labelled　'Poison！'〃　The　magazine　published　a　photograph　of　the　label；　and　it　told　its　own　convincing　story。　It　is　only　fair　to　say　that　the　makers　of　this　remedy　now　publish　their　formula。

Bok　now　slipped　a　cog　in　his　machinery。　He　published　a　list　of　twenty…seven　medicines；　by　name；　and　told　what　they　contained。　One　preparation；　he　said；　contained　alcohol；　opium；　and　digitalis。　He　believed　he　had　been　extremely　careful　in　this　list。　He　had　consulted　the　highest　medical　authorities；　physicians；　and　chemists。　But　in　the　instance　of　the　one　preparation　referred　to　above　he　was　wrong。

The　analysis　had　been　furnished　by　the　secretary　of　the　State　Board　of　Health　of　Massachusetts；　a　recognized　expert；　who　had　taken　it　from　the　analysis　of　a　famous　German　chemist。　It　was　in　nearly　every　standard　medical　authority；　and　was　accepted　by　the　best　medical　authorities。　Bok　accepted　these　authorities　as　final。　Nevertheless；　the　analysis　and　the　experts　were　wrong。　A　suit　for　two　hundred　thousand　dollars　was　brought　by　the　patent…medicine　company　against　The　Curtis　Publishing　Company；　and；　of　course；　it　was　decided　in　favor　of　the　former。　But　so　strong　a　public　sentiment　had　been　created　against　the　whole　business　of　patent　medicines　by　this　time　that　the　jury　gave　a　verdict　of　only　sixteen　thousand　dollars；　with　costs；　against　the　magazine。

Undaunted；　Bok　kept　on。　He　now　engaged　Mark　Sullivan；　then　a　young　lawyer　in　downtown　New　York；　induced　him　to　give　up　his　practice；　and　bring　his　legal　mind　to　bear　upon　the　problem。　It　was　the　beginning　of　Sullivan's　subsequent　journalistic　career；　and　he　justified　Bok's　confidence　in　him。　He　exposed　the　testimonials　to　patent　medicines　from　senators　and　congressmen　then　so　widely　published；　showed　how　they　were　obtained　by　a　journalist　in　Washington　who　made　a　business　of　it。　He　charged　seventy…five　dollars　for　a　senator's　testimonial；　forty　dollars　for　that　of　a　congressman；　and　accepted　no　contract　for　less　than　five　thousand　dollars。

Sullivan　next　exposed　the　disgraceful　violation　of　the　confidence　of　women　by　these　nostrum　vendors　in　selling　their　most　confidential　letters　to　any　one　who　would　buy　them。　Sullivan　himself　bought　thousands　of　these　letters　and　names；　and　then　wrote　about　them　in　the　magazine。　One　prominent　firm　indignantly　denied　the　charge；　asserting　that　whatever　others　might　have　done；　their　names　were　always　held　sacred。　In　answer　to　this　declaration　Sullivan　published　an　advertisement　of　this　righteous　conce