National Republican., 1873-12-01
A DRUa CLkRK,s MISTAKE.


Nrcdicise-Thrce Grains OF Tinctsre Of
Opium 10 n Powder Instead Of Three
Dreps-Tho Clerk Overceme with Grief
at HIS Brrsr-Ceroncr's Inquest and Yer.
dict Of the Jsry.
Another case OF the carelessness Of drug clerks
Incorporating prescriptions and periling human
life was developed yesterday. This time Il was
only babe, nine months OF age, but still the
crime is not less heinous and culpable on the
part Of the clerk tho prepared the medicine.
..rees sea,Sss. sss h.a a SS Sex x infant nSa
and yesterday morning called In DR.. A. N. VII.
hanson 10 attend Ie who prescribed for Il. The
sSon - o 81 e ss ssue .sIs C spd
esrf, prepared he & silcins & Sn saS hsnssa % i, To %
the messenger, who returned with Y 70 the
visited his patient and only few n1nutes
| elapsed before the medicine was given.
shosty afterwards the babe went into stupor
astonishing its pircnts. .They evidently think
Ing something wrong, again sent for the doctor;
but on his arrival the child died. The physician,
and confident that It's effect would be different
from that which had taken place, concluded
| there was something wrong In the compromising,
satisfied unless an inquest was held. Coroner
y. q. Patterson was accordingly notified, and
tho evidence elected the fact that instead Of
tIncture of opium, the clerk had compounded d
three gralns which would be half grain In each
dose; the overdose undoubtedly causing the
aes,n sa ., sne I'M In,Ana & Aer empsnneilng Jury
| A. W. Williamson sworn: Resides at No. 4ss Y
street northwest; was called TO see the infant
between aud O'Clock; found the child In .
bronchial fever; u had q bad cold; wrote pre-
scriptlon. (was handed one, which ne recog.
nined as the ono he wrote) Last evening, at
cited, and wished him TO come aud see the child
At Hurbert's a. quick as he could. She said the
child had spasms. Witness remarked tnat he
Examined the child; it was In deep sleep, with
Its eyes rolled back In its head and the lids hall
closed, the eye-balls dlverging In opposite direc
Asked @ how much @ % medicine had % been W stSen; tSs
mother replied two powders and one tesspoonfu
, witness called for the powders and examined
them; instead OF light gray powder found then
brown; then took the envelope containing then
10 Mr.. Bacons drug store, looked on the die, ant
found the prescription corresponding In numbe
with that In the envelope containing the powders
called the attention OF Howard RAdclin 70 th'
prescription, and asked him II he did the com
pounding; no replied that he had; witness
been made; he then looked at the powders An,
the prescription, and raising his hands said TIL
Is terrible; witness asked u he was sure Their
there were three grains Of opium instead Of tire
drops OF tincture OF opium; witness rernarke'
that this Information would leave no questiol
aInSa. %Sss o. ,ssssa aS., he
proprietor OF the store corner Of Four.and-a
; half and y streets southwest. Howard Rad
clin was In his employ, and had been for neari
nve years. lie was temperate, Industrious an
competent, and had always found him eve
careful and correct. Ia all Of these ycars n
knowledge Of error had ever come 10 hi notice
and he had enjoyed the confidence Of al th
physicians in his neishbornood. Tne error cam
as From D Dr. .-s @ss:oi sa
mncS sacitsd, and said that there re- was s msssi
/. IN tne prescription, and that he must hav
Dr.. J.F. Hartigsn testified to having exam
> ance about the organs Of the chest or abdomen
! except the heart-sock, which was mainly nle
ylse niid; Tas brain al was. was congessed. k.amne
J ton Of Group. In the absence Of narcotic polsoI
J Ing, while it may have taken place, witness b,
lieyed that death was attributable TO this crouI
; DR.. 9 II. A. KIienschmidt testified to bein
present at the post morten, and believed that th
child died % Group.
clerk, Radclin, and believed him competent |
MI the place as druggist; he had often con
pounded his prescriptions and no mistakes hs
. Mary HdribeIt testined to giving the medioin
! and the result It had upon the child.
Tho Jury, after listening to the evidence, r,
, turned verdict that the child came to It's deaf
BY reason Of an overdose Of opium, improper
Z compounded, ny Howard Radclln, In the druI
store Of II. A. Bacon, corner Of Four-and-a-ha
and streets.
The coroner did not order the arrest Of Raj
cliff, a. he was OF the opinion that there was n
grounds OF criminal intent, but only for civ
: suit. The young man who committed the errt
ID entirely overcome with grief at the serior
result Of his mistake, which has entirely UNITE
him for business for the present.