The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-04-29
A DRUG CLERKS FATAL MISTAKE.
BIorpEia for 0uinine-The DrUggist
Censured.

Edward Conlon, a fifteen-year-Old lad.
who lived with his mother and sister at Ne
1874 East Front street, near Martin, feiis
victim to the fatal mistake of young drug
clerk last Saturday. Conlon was under tho
treatment of Doctor J. T. Knox, of No. 258
East Third street On Friday afternoon tle
latter prescribed for the lad six powders &
five grains each of quinine. The prescrip-
ton was put up by William Welch, q lad
eighteen years old, and a drug clerk It
Films drug store, corner of Sixth and
Lock streets.
Instead of giving sulphate of quinine
Welch made six powders containing hxs
grains of sulphate each of morphia.
Conlon was given fifteen grains of tins
poison in three doses, and, of course before
medical aid could be summoned, fell a VIC
tim to the drug clerks mistake. Coroner
Stitch was notified and impaneled jury
yesterday morning, the inquest being set fnr
10 o'clock to-day.
Dr. Knox was the first witness called, and
testified that Conlon, when he was called in.
was suffering from intermittent fever. Hs
prescribed quinine for him, and the boy
was recovering. He then ordered contin-
rance of the medicine. On Saturday he was
called in and found the lad in a comotnSe
state. He ascertained that three powders
has been taken every hour. He examined
the remaining three, and found that they
contained morphia. whereas he had pre-
scribed quinine. He went to the drugstore
and the clerk acknowledged to administer
| ing morphia.
DR.. King corroborated Dr. Knox's state
ment.
The druggist, Mr.. Finn, was sworn: The
prescription was put up at his place; his
| clerk put it up; he did not give him t,-
prescription, but simply told him, the clerk:
to weigh out half drachm of quinine ana
put it up in six powders of five grains each:
the quinia and morphia bottles are kePS
apart and don't see how the clerk eouM
have made the mistake; ! keep-but one
eighth Of an ounce in my bottle: fhe 10
mainder keep locked up in safe.
VIM. Welch, the clerk, testified that he
weighed out the morphia; he knew the daa-
ference between sulphate of morphia andi
sulphate of quinia by name only; put up
prescriptions only when Mr.. Finn was
present; Mr.. Finn through some excite
ment, told me to put in morphia, and noi
ouinia; l knew morphia was poison; !
asked Mr.. Finn second time whether he
meant morphia, and he said "Yes."
After the mistake was discovered Ar.
Finn, whether in fun or not told me TO 30
to the country, otherwise | would be ar-
rested / left his employment voiunta-
rily, Saturday night, for job in a shoa
shop.
The jury rendered verdict of death FROM
an overdose of morphia, the result of mis-
take on the part of VIM. Welch; we are o.
: the opinion that J. F. Finn, druggist d
/ the northwest corner of Sixth and Loch
streets, is deserving of censure in allowing
an incompetent person to fill prescription
A thing strange about the matter is thai
as the boy took over double deadly dos
of the poison, he did not fall intoia stupo
within an hour, but got up and went IRON
! one room to the other and undressed Tia
: is only to be explained by the fact that h'
had partaken Of hearty supper shortly be
fore the administration of the poison aat
also by his having drank some tea, which Z
an antidote for poison.