Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1883-02-28
People Who Doctor Themselves.

''The extensive use Of patent medicines
snd the enormous quantity of drugs sold
without prescriptions indicate how wide
spread is the hstit of self-doctoring, said
popular physician to our reporter. ITO
those who know how carelesely snd ignor-
antly these drugs are used, the thought OF
the 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 ia a case
where ii will not only not do coed, but is
certain to work harm"
(Which do you think do the most self
doctoring. women or men p
''Women, decidedly, especially mothers
and old wemen. The reckless temerity 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 conhding husband or helpless child.
| could tell you some amusing stories of
the mistakes thst are made In this way, as
well as some instances where more serious
consequences resulted. Take for illustra-
ton, headache. 1t may come from q
dozen different causes-from hunger, from
indigestion, from over-excitement Of the
brain, from eating too much, from inhaling
foul air. The remedy for headache varies
with its cause. Yet you will find women
who have q universal psnacea for head
ache, regardless Of its cause. Beware of
such women"
s'With what medicines is the most harm
done r.
',Opiates and apeuents. The needless
ness with which morphine in various forms
Is now administered in families is alarming.
The doctor comes 10 attend patient who
is in pain. He prescribes morphia and
directs its Use, and the patient is relieved.
This is enough to start the average matrcn
on course of full destruction with NOR
phia- The next patient may be Of diff
ferent temperament, or sex, or age, re-
quirlng either different kind or quantity
of the oplate, 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, but
there are many too eager to make money
10 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 filed
In q family after one patient has been
treated Is pretty sure TO be used tor another
without the doctors knowledge. AS for
paregoric and laudsnum, the amount of
stupefsction that Is practiced upon children
by their use is SO common, as almost TO
cease 10 attract attention. Perhaps the child
is naturally peevish, or IS cutting teeth, or
has some Infsntiie ailment; out comes the
paregCric or soothing syrup bottle, and be-
fore long the small dose ceases to have
effect. Then larger doses are given, until
the unfortunate youngster's system is sa-
urated with the drug aud totally deranged
Sometimes the lazy and dishonest nurse,
to Telive herself from trouble, administers
The anodyne on her own responsibility, and
the hapless child shows a dullness and
stupidity for which nobody can account.
Il met man once whO..was doctorlng
himself for dyspepsia and indigestion.
He told me he wondered why he had not
cured himself. Tie was apparently OF
muscular development and good cons'ltu- |
ton, but he had somehow got the idea in |
TO bis head that he must exercise vigorously |
after every meal IN order 10 promote di- |
gesIioD. He took long and rapid walks |
after his meals. OF course hIs indigestion |
got verse. lie was apparently a man Of
ordinary intelligence, yet be was ignorant |
of the simplest law Of health. told him |
that if COW could talk she would teach |
him more sense than TO take any vigorous |
exercise. either physical OF mental, I'M
mediately after hearty meal. Most |
horses are treated more intelligently than
this man was treating himself.
What puzzles me is the fact that people |
are not afraid 10 meddle with such deli-
cate organism as the human body. Few |!
persons who have watches would attempt |
to repair them If they should get out of |
order; yet they tackle the delicate mech
amsm OF their own bodies with the reck-
lessness of blacksmith attempting to ad-
Just a thermometer. The evil is wide
spread, and reaches not only the cases l
have alluded TO, but many others more
difficult and dangerous than these. | have
known o. women erperlmentlng with drugs
IN cases where simple surgical operation
of a minutes duration was all that was
necessary. The evil Is lnsidlouB, and one
that it would DC difficult to reach by legis-
laticn. L; Is especially common among
those who have little learning which is a
very dangerous thing. 1t is a question
who are most to be pitied, those who
know nothing whatever of their own
bodies, or those who, having the presump-
ton to act on very slight and Insignificant
knowledge, are perpetually dosing them
selves with nostTums, and, with blind
fas.h 81, |
putting confidence in panaceas."