In Reply to: Re: posted by John Graboski on February 04, 2000 at 04:58:41:

: : (1) Does anyone have experience with "Pancreas Tonic", or any other O.T.C. help for diabetes, especially herbs containing "gimneme sylvestri"?, and , (2) does anyone know of a liquid that, after being drunk, coats the stomach and instestines, and prevents food from being absorbed, thus providing weight loss? I heard a news story about such an invention over twenty years ago. The inventor wanted it to be added to soft drinks, but the F.D.A. said no, fearing it would be misused by anorexics. Whatever happened to this discovery, that would put Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers out of business?

: : Robert Yorke

: : Simi Valley, California

: If anyone EVER found out that such medications were available and WORKED, millions of diabetics and overweight persons would beat a path and KILL to get such relief.

: There is no such thing as "coating" the stomach or intestines to prevent absorbtion by the body.
: Ever hear heard of "Carter's Little Liver Pills" ? The FDA made the manufacturer remove "liver" from the name because it did absolutely NOTHING for the liver. Thousands of "snake oil" patent medicines (cures everything that ails you) were forced off the shelves in the early 1900's because of their worthlessness and safety.
Robert:
Yes, when I was a kid in the 30s and 40s, Carter's Little Liver Pills were quite common.
I'm not ever sure anyone knew what they did, but most such "snake medicines" are, these
days, being looked at again as herbal and nutritional medicine become popular.
Most CLLP were part laxative, part diuretic and a stimulant. You took'em and you felt
better! A similar compound was Lydia Pinkhams Vegetable Compound which aided ladies
with their monthly troubles.
Carter built a big business that became a giant phramaceutical firm Carter-Wallace
Laboratories, which if I remember, has a lab right along and visible from the
New Jersey Turnpike near its southern end. Maybe they could sell Jersey swamp water
as a tonic the way their founder probably sold natural senna as a cure-all?
Remember, physicians evolved from those who give physics, i.e. laxatives.

The FDA, like the Department of Energy, at one time had a useful role. I spent 25 years
in the medical device industry, and all it seemed that the FDA did was slow down
research and make products vastly more expensive. Who knows how many natural products
forced off the market might have made lives much better. After all, quality of life is not a
governmental concern!

If Coca-Cola still had coke in it, would western civilization have been destroyed?
I don't drink alcohol and I don't smoke cigarettes, but if people who find either enjoyable want to do it and die young,
I say let 'em be. Alcoholics can't drive cars, but wait till they go after Prozacers. And if now
the government says you can't hold a cell phone and drive, how about the millions and
millions of people who pick their noses while driving? Eh? Put 'em in jail, boogers and all.

Sam Goldman, Sharon, Massachusetts