Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-10-18
DEADLY DRUGS,
A Pharmacist Chats Awhile About Various
POisons.
Cincinnati Enquirer Interview

Cincinnati Enquirer Interview
Talk little while about this. Doc, said
the writer the other day, putting a news
paper item into the hands of DIR Bathiany,
vice pre- ,ident Of the Kentucky State Phar
maceutcal association. Ii was an account
of the recent accidental posing in Hoboken.
Il think can tell you exactly how that
particular tragedy occurei," said the doc
tor. The druggist kept his sulphate of
morphine and sulphate Of quinine beside
each other in shelf bottles The bottles were
OF the same size and lettered in the same
general style. Both drugs, you will notice,
are sulphates, and they resemble each other
very cl sely in general appearance Seeing
the word sulphate on the bottle. the drug
git hastily took it down, filed the prescrip-
ton and replaced it, without an idea that
he had used morphine instead Of quinine.
The careful druggist never puts these
drugs in shell bottles He keeps them in
the original packages in the poison drawer
of his pre- criptiOn case, under lock AMI key
But where druggist makes one error hi
customers make ten, AMI yet almo,t iuvar-
iahly you will find that mistaken doses of
poisons are charged to fault on the part OF
the druggist Let me show you what
mean. What would you call thiSf
CAUTION To THE BUYER.
He produced a paper containing a white
powder.
Baking POWDER
mo; guess again"
Cream OF tartarT
Not any 1t is arsenic l may sell a
quantity of arsenic on a doctors prescrip
ton, properly label it, and caution the
buyer to be careful in its use, and yet suffer
in my good name through having sold it
Howl In this way. The arsenic may be
taken out Of the original package, or the
label may be lost, AMI the drug placei in "a
cupboard, whence it may be Carelessly taken
and used by mistake for baking powder.
The result is a ca g of accidental poisoning
The first question asked in such cases is
Where was the poison purchaself With
out knowing the circum tances OF the case
at all thoughtleSs people at once jump to the
conclusion that the mistake was the drug
gist's. Many a pharmacists reputation has
been blighted in this way, and the evil i" SO
great that our State association has advised
that all druggists color Notwithstanding
to a formula which does not interfere with
its propertie>-before selling it, SO that it
may by no possibility be mistaken for any
thing el-e.
POIsONs AND ANTIDoTEs.
GOxaljc sc a has bssn taken in a number
of cases for epsom salts, which it some what
resemble. the CRYSTALS of the acid being
much coarser than those of the salts, how
ever. When it has been taken by mistake
the symptoms are unmistakable. They are
exquisite pain, violent efforts to vomit. dull
ness, languor, debility, and finally death
without struggle in a very short time
after taking the poison There is but little
hope with this poison; but II an antfdote be
taken at once 1t may be effective. Chalk or
magnesia mixed with water, and admins
tered in large doses, is the best that can DO
used; but II not to be had at once white
wash. swallowed in quantities, may serve
the purpose OF counteractant
IN cases where morphine has been taken
through mistake Tor quinlne the symptoms
VIII De thato OF laudanum poisoning, In which
drowslnes' Is the prominent feature An
emetlc shoul be at once administering, such
as mustard-hour' followed oy coplous
draughts OF warm water after which all
the attention Is to be given to keeping tho
patent awake and In constant motion