Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1872-09-28
4 WARNING.

lished the following article in the Pa
cifc Medical Journal, pronouncing Mrs.
Winslow Soothing Syrup, a poison.
He SAYS -
Ny attention was first called to the
banetul effect and enormous consump-
tion of this nostrum, in the November
90, number of the CaiforOia Medical
Gazette, by DR.. Murray. L. ). \. Dr.
Murray had been called to see child
aged six months, apparently IN dying
condition from the effects OF some mar
co:ic poison. He found that this ''Sooth-
ing Syrup" was the only medicine which
had been administered, and of it the
child had taken two teaSpoontuls within
ten hours. There was remaining in the
vial from which the two teaSpoontuls
had been taken. ten drachms, whics
yielded by analysis by Il skilltul chemist,
nearly one grain Of lnorph:a and other
opium alkalods to the ounce Of syrup.
The specimen Of Soothing Syrup, an
alyzed, was made by Curtis ii Perkins,
of New York, who are the only manu-
facturers.
On the 7th of February, Mrs. W.
came into my Office with = child five
months old in her arms, which, she said
was very sick; that it slept constantly,
and would not nurse or move tor sey-
eral days. The child was breathing
heavily, and its pupils were closely con
tracted. | asked ii the child had been
taking opium; she replied that it had
taken nothing but Soothing Syrup.
She said that on the 9th two days before,
the child was restless, and its bowels
costiye, and that neighbor had advised
her to give it "a teaspooniul OF "Sooth-
ING SYRUP saying it was excellent to
regulate the bowels {She had preyi-
ously given the Syrup in small doses.)
She administered the Syrup twice du-
ring the day, teaspoontul each time;
the child slept heavily all night and
would not nurse when reused. Not
suspecting that the Syrup had anything
to 10 with its sleeping, she gave on the
fuls more. The child refused to nurse
when reused. On the eth she gave it
another teaspoontul before bringing it
to my office told her that the child
was poisoned hy morphia, Of which
Soothing syrup contained large
quantity. The mother was surprised
and alarmed, and had no idea that there
vas morphia in Soothing Syrup
| ordered brandy and coffee, the bow
els to be kept open by injections, and
the child to be kept awake rs much as
possible The child recovered, but was
not able TO nurse until the 10th. This
is but one Of the many instances Of poi
son by this nostrum.
Or. r. 5. Maxwell, my partner, was
called to see child five weeks old, to
whom half a teaspoontul of Soothing
Syrup" had been given few hours pre-
vious. The child was already past all
help, and died in few hours. No other
medicine had been given.
In my own case, the child fiyemonths
old had taken two teaspoontuls on the
9Th, three Oh the 9th, and one on the
eth, making six teasppontuls from 10 a.
IN. on the 9th until a. m. on the 7th;
consequently it got over half a grain OF
morphia in the space Of 46 hours As
susceptible as children are to the infu-
encc Of opium, it seems almost iupoSs
bic that the child could have lived In
fact we know that it could not haze
lived, had not the tolerance Of the poi
son been induced by previous doses in
lesser quantities. We may add here
that there are very few children at the
age OF six months, who would not be
poisoned to death, were they to take
the Syrup IS directed, (namely six
months old and upwards, one teaspoon
tul three or four times day until free
from pain,) unless tolerance of the
drug be induced by its previous admin
istration in small doses. The morphia
in teaspoonful of Soothing Syrup" is
equal to shout twenty-tour drops Of
laudanum. Here We have thousands Of
mothers and nurses ignorant alike of
the ingredients and the effects of this
deadly uostrum, directed to give a child
six months old morphia equal totwenty
drops Of laudanum. while 4 physician
would not care to give child OF that
age more than three drops.
d.. Murray, in the article already re
referred to, says, Il have asccrtaincd
that there are about one hundred thous.
and two ounce bottles Of it sold annu-
ally in this city, containing about one
hundred and eighty grains of morphia,
which are given annually to the babies
Of this State