PHOTO GALLERY: AMA display of medical quackery and ineffective, dangerous alternative medicine

Dave Fornell | July 18, 2024 | Health Exec | American Medical Association (AMA)

The American Medical Association (AMA) has a collection of artifacts on health fraud, quackery and ineffective—and often dangerous—alternative medicine at its Chicago headquarters office. These photos show part of that collection.

More than 100 years ago, the AMA took a stand and called for physicians to expose medical frauds and charlatans to the public. In the early 20th century, the AMA began investigating devices and advertisements to expose vendors and individuals making fraudulent medical claims, misrepresentations and dangerous medical quackery. This effort was aimed at education to show the public and physicians fraudulent and sometimes dangerous medical claims.

Read a short history of quackery in the AMA website.

Click on the photos to enlarge and see them full frame.Hover over images to read the captions.

Radioactive radium sold was a "pick-me-up" drug during prohibition. Part of the medical quackery display at the AMA headquarters in Chicago. Photo by Dave Fornell

A bottle of the radioactive radium laced medicine Radithor. It was sold was a "pick-me-up" drug and aphrodisiac during prohibition in the 1920s for young socialites. It led to at least one known death from radiation poisoning. Part of the medical quackery display at the AMA headquarters in Chicago. Photo by Dave Fornell

Partola medicine ad from 1913 alleging it cleans your tongue and boosts your health. Part of quackery, snake oil, medical frauds display at the AMA headquarters.

Partola medicine ad from 1913 alleging it cleans your tongue and boosts your health. The AMA says it is an example of an unfounded medical claim.

Display case of quackery, snake oil, medical frauds at the AMA headquarters.

An AMA display case with examples of medical quackery, snake oil and medical frauds at the AMA headquarters.

Left, an early 20th century advertisement for a hair growth device that the AMA fought to remove from the market because because it did not work and it caused damage to the patient's scalp, hair and head. Right, a teething syrup marketed for children that included dangerous, even deadly, false claims between 1910-1912.

PThe drug Cascarets was made of cascara segrada, a shrub used to make medicine for constipation. However, after concerns were raised about the plant's safety and effectiveness, cascara segrada is available today only as a dietary supplement and not a drug after companies declined to submit to safety studies. art of quackery, snake oil, medical frauds display at the AMA headquarters.

The drug Cascarets was made of cascara segrada, a shrub used to make medicine for constipation. However, after concerns were raised about the plant's safety and effectiveness, cascara segrada is available today only as a dietary supplement and not a drug after companies declined to submit to safety studies.

The I-ON-A-CO electromagnetic device was advertised as a cure all for many medical conditions in the 1920s and cited science that was not sound and made claims that the device was not capable of. The AMA said it is a perfect example of medical quackery where an entrepreneur did a very good job of selling a very expensive product that promised to deliver medical therapy and actually did nothing.

Containing ground plant material coated with chalk and sugar, Normalettes tablets were one of several formulas from this unregulated post-World War I "health food" vendor that produced laxatives, bile salts, digestants and other products. This drug advertisement is from around 1930.

Quackery medicine advertisements to cure deafness and cure all aliments of women.

Partola was a phenolphthalein-based laxative whose makers used extravagant advertising claims to promote it from 1912 to 1936. The AMA advised that while Partola was an effective laxative, it was actually not a cure.

Radioactive glasses sold by the Radium Products Company starting in 1928 to allegedly strengthen eyesight and cure eye ailments. The AMA investigated and deemed the product medical quackery. The AMA said it did not contain enough radium to be therapeutic and if it did it would be dangerous.

Radioactive glasses sold by the Radium Products Company starting in 1928 to allegedly strengthen eyesight and cure eye ailmen Radioactive glasses sold by the Radium Products Company starting in 1928 to allegedly strengthen eyesight and cure eye ailments. The AMA investigated and deemed the product medical quackery. The AMA said it did not contain enough radium to be therapeutic and if it did it would be dangerous. Part of the medical quackery display at the AMA headquarters in Chicago. Photo by Dave Fornell

The Radium Ore Revigator water jar was supposedly lined with radioactive material. Marketing materials claimed that when the jug's radioactive component mixed with water, it created a "cure-all" tonic for consumption.

Hadacol was a dietary supplement and a general cure-all that contained 12% alcohol, which enabled it to become a successful product in dry counties in the South. Founded by Louisiana state Sen. Dudley LeBlanc, he sold the company in 1951 after the AMA went after. The company went bankrupt when it was shown LeBlanc had spent more on advertising than the company actually took in as profits. These candles cost him the 1952 governor's race. A 1951 AMA press release stated, "It is hoped that no doctor will be uncritical enough to join in the promotion of Hadacol. It is difficult to imagine how one could do himself or his profession greater harm from the standpoint of the abuse of the trust of a patient suffering from any condition. Hadacol is not a specific medication. It is not even a specific preventive measure."

Hadacol was a dietary supplement and a general cure-all that contained 12% alcohol, which enabled it to become a successful product in dry counties in the South. The AMA went after the company in 1951 to expose it as quackery.

Watkins Tonic ad from 1956 promises to "pep" you up, which is a medical claim frowned upon by the AMA.

Pluto Water was a popular early 20th century concentrated laxative water for digestive problems. The water was supposedly bottled from mineral springs in French Lick, Indiana. Doubting the Pluto Water sold to the public was from the natural springs, the AMA questioned its health benefits.

The Electreat Manufacturing Company sold its all-purpose Mechanical Heart device claiming it could provide top-to-bottom treatment for 24 different disease conditions, including the preposterous "sick all over." In 1941, device was the subject of the first proceeding against an electrical device under the FDA Act.Part of quackery, snake oil, medical frauds display at the AMA headquarters.

Americans' fascination with the mystery and promise of electricity made medical electric devices popular during the 19th century. The Davis & Kidder Patent Magneto-Electric Machine for Nervous Diseases was a device that when the crank was turned gave anyone holding the electrodes a high-frequency current. The makers claimed it relieved pain and cured numerous diseases, including cancer, tuberculosis, diabetes, gangrene, heart disease, tetanus and spinal deformities.

xAmericans' fascination with the mystery and promise of electricity made medical electric devices popular during the 19th century. The Davis & Kidder Patent Magneto-Electric Machine for Nervous Diseases was a device that when the crank was turned gave anyone holding the electrodes a high-frequency current. The makers claimed it relieved pain and cured numerous diseases, including cancer, tuberculosis, diabetes, gangrene, heart disease, tetanus and spinal deformities.

Watkins Tonic claimed to be a vitamin supplement-when in fact it was tied to an earlier tablet product that contained alcohol and opium. The tonic was dangerous when taken in high quantities. The tonic was manufactured between 1926 to 1966.

"They work while you sleep ... moving the poison away without griping or inconvenience of any kind," the Cascarets advertisements read. In addition to "cleansing the bowels when sick and constipated," the company claimed its tablets could "relieve headache, a sour or acid stomach, indigestion, biliousness, bad breath or a cold." Today the active ingredient, cascara segrada, is only available as a dietary supplement and not a drug after companies declined to submit to safety studies.

Medical ethics wall at the American Medical Association headquarters in Chicago. Photo by Dave Fornell

The AMA headquarters office in Chicago has a wall dedicated to medical ethics, which is at the core of the association's mission. It summarizes the principles of medical ethics that have guided the AMA for the past 100 years in challenging medical quackery and enforcing guidelines to professionalize the field of medicine.

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Dave Fornell

Dave Fornell has covered healthcare for more than 17 years, with a focus in cardiology and radiology. Fornell is a 5-time winner of a Jesse H. Neal Award, the most prestigious editorial honors in the field of specialized journalism. The wins included best technical content, best use of social media and best COVID-19 coverage. Fornell was also a three-time Neal finalist for best range of work by a single author. He produces more than 100 editorial videos each year, most of them interviews with key opinion leaders in medicine. He also writes technical articles, covers key trends, conducts video hospital site visits, and is very involved with social media. E-mail: dfornell@innovatehealthcare.com

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