Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1889-01-25
DRUG CLVRES' MISTAKES.

They May Be Made-Medicines Which Look
Alike But Are Not.
The mixing up of prescriptions through
which number OF serious results have
recently ensued has called renewed at
teptlon and Interest to the subject OF
drug clerks mistakes.
People In general do OF stop TO reflect
how easily such mistakes may occur, nor
how little short of marvellous it is that
they do not happen more frequently.
A proHlnent physician WAS recently
Ia king upon this subject and sai5 he:
ut Is the InOst natural thing in the
world for errors TO occur in handling
drugs and medicines. There are many
medicines and drugs which to all outward
appearances are Identical, though differ
ing widely in character. Unless the ut
most care were taken 10 keep them
properly labeled and Sc -srated fatal mis-
takes would constantly occur. Indeed,
the great wonder is that they are so in
comparatively infrequent.
Another source of danger is the SINH
larlty in names of different drugs. Take,
for instance, wine of opium and wine of
ipecac. Wine of opium is a deadly pois-
on. unless taken With the greatest care,
nocuous. Suppose physician is writing
prescription for wine of ipecac. some
body interrupts him by asking q question
or otherwise. lie writes wine of opium
instead. Disaster will follow
Then the use of the gramme and
grain is confusing. There are fifteen
grams IN grammt. Suppose q physI-
claI intends TO write grain of opium in
prescription. He writes hurr1edly and
the symbol for grain looks like that for
grammc, for they are much alike. The
patient as a result, takes fifteen times the
the Intended amount.
Then there are hydrocyanio acid and
hydrochloric acid. The former is poi
son, one or two drops being a dose The
usual dose of hydrochloric acid is from
fifteen to twenty drops. Both of these
acids are used daily. The hydrocyanic
might, IN the haste of the moment, be
readily written instead of ny drochloric.
There are almost numberless other
medicines that might be as easily con
founded. l choose these illustrations
since they are in constant use. These
are the simplest pitfalls that may eutrsp
the unwary.
AS precaution prescription is very
often returned by the drug clerk for
verifcation to the physician who wrote it.
IT 1t appears unusual in any respect.
II he other day a lady whom l know
swallowed lot of corrosive sublimate.
She had not looked at the label on the
bottle. She was rescued with the greatest
difficulty.
The greatest care should be used not
to take anything from bottles not prop.
RI itIN I.,I
taken in the dark. 1t would be wise
arbitrary law for congress to pass that all
bottles containing poisons should De
made of some distinctive shape, so as to
be readily distinguished in the dark.
Bitter almonds and sweet almonds
might readily he COMPOUNDED, and the
bitter almond is poisonous while the
sweet Is harmless. Sweet almonds are
commonly administered 10 infants. If
the bitter be given by mistake there will
be dead baby in less than no time.
Drug clerks are enjoiued from selling
poison, except on physicians prescri
| tions, but u person intent on suicide can
easily get around that regulation. Go to
druggi lists, and as much poison bought as
they can be induced to sell; for of course
they will sell small utilities of drugs,
Inc iduuhItulN. NnlCn can DE takeh Win
IMMUNITY in small doses. The combined
amount is then swallowed and the desired
end attained.
Yes, it is very easy for PEG pie intent
on poisoning themselves to accomplish
| their object.
AS IN the case of the drug clerk, hut
TO greater tx ent, the physician carries
his reputation in his hand. No matter
how brilliant a record he may have
achieved during long term of years,
should he make an error such as l have
tried to illustrate, his reputation and
practice would straightway vanish. Dss-
pite this sword of DamocIes, which is
constantly suspended over our heads,
the exercise of our exacting profession
possesses a strange fascination for those
properly constituted for its practice. If
this fascination and absorbing interest
are lacking the physician will not be a
success.