The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-07-24
THE DEATH OF MRS. GREENE
DR. BEERs'S STA TEMENT OF AN HABIT
U1L OPIUM ENTERS CISE
Consuming Enough Morphine IN Ono Day TO
KIN sixty Persons-Why Death Ensues-
| Interesting Cases from VI edicai Authorities.


Consuming Enough Morphine IN One Day to
XIII sixty Persons why Death Ensues-
Interesting Cases from Medical Authorities.
To THE EDITOR OF The SUN-,Sir: In The
Sun OF July IL / am charged with producing
results. by the use OF my pills for tho cure OF
the opium habit. which terminated in tho death
OF Mrs. Greene Of Montgomery. Texas. 1t is
very evident that the statements made by tho
writer Of that letter VOL calculated to create
a false impression. especially upon persons who
know nothing about the action of medicine.
will now give some OF the facts and circum-
stances in the Of Mrs. Greene.
have in my possession several letters from
her. in one Of which she informs me that she
was an habitua morphine takor to tho amount
81 thirty grains n day. enough TO kill sixty
persons who had not used tho poison UNI
der ordinary circumstances. II is awe-known
fact that every person who dies under the infu-
ence Of q narcotic does so in state OF either
active or passive congestion OF the brain. and
whatever tho quantity OF poison required to
produce this effect must be regarded as
poisonous dose. After the brain has become
exhausted. MS 1t will under all such circum-
stances. 80 that no dose. oven when incrcaaod
far beyond what the person is using or has used
to produce tho conditions present will continue
causing passive congestion. This fact is
illustrated by every case where the stimulus
used TO produce the effect that existed in
tho case OF Mrs. Greene. whether tho stimulus
or poisons used were discontinued immediately,
or whore the system became 50 much affected
nv the poison that II would receive II no longer.
| This IL "A well known and we'll authenticated
| fact. Mrs. Greene had continued tho use OF
thirty grains Of morphine day until tho poison
| had. in her case, produced an effect upon tho
brain which could not under any circumstances
be- overcome. Even had sho doubled the dose,
natures powers were destroyed, reaction could
not take place. and her death was the death of
| every person poisoned 10y tho opium habit or
nothing peculiar in her case. either in living. or
in the conditions after death. Thousands Of
lust such cases ar occurring every DAY, ,,r.
| for the cure Of the opium habit. each OF which
pills contained one;luarier OF grain OF INC
| one-half OF the strength Of the alcoholic extract
! ofthe same. TIL, 50 ten pills contained altogether
two nnd one,half grains OF the belladonna in
| this form. which was equal in cffcct TO only ono
! forty eighth VI the quantity OF morphine which
she had been taking. As the writer of the letter
| Wood and Ba,ho. will do the same. He says
- Begin with one-quarter or one half grain.
the al 'oholic extract of belladonna., Now. If
| had used 1t in my pills according to the dispen.
satory would have given one and one-halt
! sho only took two and ono-half grains
Of the aqueous extract. tho same being
only one.hali Of the streneth Of the aleo-
sides. tho dispensatory recommends the
a any, knd ' Hetns '' upon p the same prin
cplo that her system bore. the effect OF
thirty grains OF morphine day. the quantity
| abe took in my pills could not, and did not. have
| any effect in her case under the circumstances.
as IA narcotlc nor was 1t strong enough. ms It
| now appears. even 10 approximate 10 the small.
est Impression or stimuius TO take the pace OF
| the morphine. The conditions referred To that
the United States Dispensaitory." are So com
mon and SO universally found after death. and
too, in such variety Of diseases and conditions
that they are hardly referred TO by any OF our
| authors in connection with such cases: and
hence the, special point which h., attempts 70
never saw a case Of death from spotted fever
| typhoid fever. chronic liberation Of the stom-
ach or bowels liver or lungs. or any dsensc at
whore more or less Of the conditions referred 10
hy the physician who attended Mrs, Greene
were MT present, and lust in proportion 10 the
effect produced on the bran, resulting in con
vulsions or spasms. a. IA ccrehro-s pinal menin.
directly upon the brain sufficient to overcome
the direct and immediate influence 81 the brain
power, these outward eNlden,eS VIII manifest
in cases whore death has followed from the
effect Of lightning itself. And this fat bears
the same relation. whether the person Il
Killed instantly by lightning. Or, Killed b'
typhoid fever in twenty. days. The same i
true Of ship fever in all Of its ssiiinatons. i
may be said that If she had continued th'
morphine or Ind increased II a. others hat
done 10 much larger quantities. She would have
ono person lives after "a habit II n larger guam,
tlty than she was taxing one thousand persons
are killed with II in less quantities than she
used.
quote from Beck's Med Jurisprudence. 2,
vol. page 3yJ;
Theen,ct. Of narcotic posons are far from being
oreven peculiar III, common but mistaken ii.A g. Dr.,
W. S' or hld ia, i i Goo d. i. IN aui state
eri',d "a various laIt- some OF ,hrse may ana a. n,
IN iher appearance. ''''' NV ''''''
Orila denies the correctness Of such state
ments. He has frequently observed that putre
faction was not advanced more than usual II
thiriy-six hours after death that the limbs wer
Is stun ~ those Of one who has been l2isons'
by substances Of another class and that tn
blood was coagulnted in short umo ate
Bodies Of persons dying from the effect o
SeG% sGS G GaS'ay into
Mr. Edwdr1s has reported case , whefn
a drachm Of the extract Of belladonna by mis-
, take. lancet, May "a, 1851. page 5GsJ An
"A Spsc is reported By lanes 7. Newmans 4
.. her into u comatose state and by the use o
atropie injected into her arm and six grains Q
the alcoholic extract OF belladonna. divided int
two pills. the whole to be taken in two hours
she was brought out OF all danger. Thi
, party took over six times as much in effect I
/, two hours US Mrs. Greene took in forty -eigh
hours.
, expressly for her use" l would say that
, make these pills in Jumps which ] cut up int
five hundred pills. or five boxes sent her ON
/ Of nyo boxes which prepared not only for hoi
\ but for one or two cases almost similar to hers
and SO far as heard from. the other cases ar
( progressing finely. and one Of the cases ha
been cured.
, In my letter to DR. Irlon said that the symp
r toms OF bcllndOnna soon pass of. but refcrre
/ to the effect Of tho hollHdOnna in antagonism 1
i the morphine which had been used by the pa
| tlent. which neutraizcd the continued effect q
D the belladonna, and supposed that us physi
clan. he would understand II.
, Both Pereira and Taylor say that CONFUSION
| are rarely present when belladonna cause
death aud Taylor remarks that the pupils q
I the eyes are often dated with poisoning b
morphine and that commissions are often OH
r served before death by poisoning from MOI
2 | phine.
II IS for the reason that belladonna will ncu
t tralze the effect ~ morphine TINT use it in N
pills Respectfully. O. &. BEERS, NJ ID.
NEW YORK, July 81, 1877.
Wlant,o-- f,maIts.