The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-03-17
People VINO Doctor themselves.


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s'The extensive use Of patent medicines
and the enormous quantity of drugs sold
without prescriptions indicate how wide-
spread is the habit of self.doctorlng, said
popular physician to our reporter. ''To
those who know how carelesely and ignor-
antly these drugs are used, the thought Of
tho harm they do is absolutely appalling.
There is no telling how long prescription
once given will be used, or with what
foolish risk it will be applied in case
where it will not only not do good, but is
certain to work harm."
(Which do you think do tho most self
doctOring, women or men
"Women, decidedly, especially mothers
and old women. The reckless tcmerity Of
some women in this respect is wonderful.
They rush IN where angels fear to tread.
Hastily Judging from few symptoms that
a case resembles one which the family doc.
tor has treated, they will hunt up an old
prescription and administer the dose to
some conflding husband or helpless child
could tell you some amusing stories OF
the mistakes that arc made III this way, as
well as some instances where more serious
consequences resulted. Take for illustra-
ton, headache. 1t may como from a
dozen different causes-from hunger, from
indigestion, from ovCr-cXcitcmcnt of the
brain, from catlDg too much, from inhaling
foul air. The remedy for headache varies
with it's cause. Yet you will find women
who have universal panacea for head
ache, regardless OF it's cause. Beware of
such women"
'With what medicines ls the most harm
donc7'
"Opiates and apcrcnts. The needless
ness with which morphine in various forms
ls now administered in families is alarming.
The doctor comes to attend a patient who
ls in pain. lie prcscribes morphia and
directs It's use, aud the patient is relieved.
This is enough to start the average matron
on course of full destruction with NOR
phia. The next patient may be of diff
ferent temperament, or sox, or age, re-
quirlng either different kind or quantity
of the oplatc, but the prescription will be
used, or, worse than all, will be revived
from memory. Some drug stores watch
carefully and refuse to dispense such drugs
without a prescription in each case, hut
there are many too eager to make money
TO care much whether the patient IS being
treated by doctor. The same is true of
the use of bromide, OF chloroform and of
ether. The bottle that is left partly filled
III family after one patient has been
treated is pretty sure to be used Tor another
without the doctors knowledge. AS for
paregoric and laudanuun, the amount Of
stupcfaCton that Is praClicCd upon children
by their use ia SO common, rs almost to
cease TO attract attention. Perhaps the child
Is naturally pecvish, or is cutting teeth, or
has some lnfantile ailmcnt out comes the
parcgoric or soothing syrup bottle, and be-
fNrn 1,.,
effect. Then larger doses are given, until
the unfortunate youngsters system is sa-
uratcd with the drug aud totally dcrangcd.
Sometimes tho lazy and dishonest iiul SO,
to rclivc herself from trouble, administers
the anodync on her own responsibility, and
tho haplcss child shows a dullncss and
stupidity for which nobody can account.
II met a man once who.swas doctorlng
himself for dyspepsia and indigestion.
lie told me he wondered why he had not
cured mmsclf. lie was apparently of
muscular development and good consNtu-
ton, hut he had somehow got the idea in
to bis heau that he must exercise vigorously
after every meal III order TO promote di-
geslion- lie took long and rapid walks
after his meals. Of course his indigestion
got worse. lie was apparently a man of
ordinary intelligence, yet hc wac ignorant
OF the simplest law Of health. told Inn
that if COW could talk she would teach
him more sense than to take any vigorous
exercise, either physical OF mental, I'M
mediatc]y after Il hearty meal. Most
horses arc treated more intclligcntly than
this man was treating himself.
What puzzles nc is the fact that people
are not afraid to mcddlc with such a dch-
cate organism as the human body. Few
persons who have watches would attempt
to repair thcm # they should get on: Of
order; yet they tackle the delicate mech
amsm Of their own bodies with the rcck
lcssncss of Il blacksmith attempting to adj
just chrrnoDlctcr The evil is wide
spread, End reaches not only the cases |
have alluded to, but many others more
difficult and dangerous than these. have
known OF women experimenting with drugs
IN cases where simple surgical operation
of minutes duration was all that was
necessary. The evil Is nsidloug, and one
that it would 3c difficult to reach by leris-
laton. 1t IS especially common among
those who have little learning winch Is a
very dangerous thing. 1t is q question
who are most to bc piticd, those who
know nothing whatever of their own
bodies, or those who, having the prcsumn
tlon to act on very slight aud insignificant
knowledge arc perpctually dosing them
serves with nostrums, and, with blind
faith equal to the most ahject superstition,
putting confidence in pannceas.'
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