The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-06-01
MISTAKES OF THE DOCTORS.
Druggists Whose Lives Are Made Mis-
cradle Always to Blame.


There Is perhaps no profession the prac-
tlce OF which is attended with more per
picking difficulties than that of the phar-
maclst. There is no class of men working
Tor the benefit OF those about them in this
busy. busting world. who are so perpetu-
ally sweating on the gridiron of anxious
doubt as the compounding druggist. In
every state in the Union if doctor makes
mistake and his patient dies the com
blned power of courts and iuries is
rarely sufficient to encompass bis punish
ment and ne goes on practicing as though
nothing had happened Ii drugGst ac-
cldentaIIy introduces poison into a
remedy In compromising prescription
instead of a harmless ingredient. and
death ensues, in every one of the states
except six, the chances are that he will
be compelled to don the stripped livery of
the state behind prison bars, for all that is
necessary to procure his punishment is
the possession of a portion of the pois-
onous potion and the Identification of the
establishment where it was COMPOUNDED.
When Prof. Joseph 2. Remington of
Philadelphia addressed the physicians
and pharmacists at Plymouth church
Thursday evening last he offered his audi
ence an hour OF enjoyment which was of
practical benefit. Probably some idea of
the truth of this statement may be had
from the expression of an old and success
full medical practitioner OF this CITY. who
at the conclusion of Prof. Remington 9
lecture heaved a deep sigh and said ::
well, I've practiced medicine for twenty
five years, but l never until tonight ap-
preclated what criminally careless lot of
fellows We doctors can make of
ourselves" Among other errors of
OF doctors which tend to unsettle the rea-
son OF druggists, Prof. Remington referred
to the prescription, properly written.
which the druggist carefully compounds
and which, as soon as the prescribed in
gradients are united in the bottle, gelatin
ICES and refuses to even drop a little bit"
The druggist has performed his duty faith
fully and does not understand what causes
the trouble, when, as matter of
fact the doctor has been wanting in a
knowledge of the chemical relationship of
the ingredients. Prof. Remington also
called the attention of the doctors present
70 the Importance of improving their PEN
manshiD and not carrying the principles
of abbreviation to a ridiculous extreme.
As an illustration he displayed facsimile
OF a prescription written by DR.. Penrose.
probably one of the most noted specialists
In the East. The doctor rushed into
Prof. Remlngton's store one morning.
scratched off something on a scrap of
paper and ordered 1t compounded and
sent Immediately to the address given,
and then rushed out. 1t was as follows:
stDIl . n f.
After hunting all over Philadelphia the
prescription so that it read: pills on
sulphur, quinine and hydrastis Take one
every three hours Penrose."
Another physician, well known in New
York lCtY, wrote a prescription that in
volved, as one of the ingredients "Aque
bulllentis." The young druggist who re-
ceived 1t was puzzled. He did not find
the remedy in the dispensary, so he sim
ply sent his boy around to a neighboring
drug store with dollar and an order for
zone pint of aqu@ bullientis" When the
boy returned he had left the dollar and had
the package wrapped in his Jacket.
The aquR bullientis simply proved to be
boiling water, and the physician, if he
had so written it in the first place. would
have saved a well-meaning, conscientious
young pharmacist much worry, 81 in
money and the modification resulting
from being laughed at Another leading
but needless physician wrote a prescrip-
ton and appended the directions: Take
q teaspoonful every hour if not able to
sleep in water" at is quite likelv,"
said Prof Remington, "tnat if the pa
tent took any of the medicine he
took 1t all" As an instance of grossly
ridiculous abbreviation, a prescription from
one OF the most successful practitioners if
Harrisburg once read: "Syr. Rham Cat"
The doctor simply meant to write syrup
OF rahmni catharticas, very harmless
laxative. From prominent physician of
Philadelphia. a member OF the faculty of
the university of Pennsylvania, Prof.
Remington uniformly received model
prescriptions, with the single exception
that they uniformly wound up with
the abominable direction, take as dir"
After having one of these prescriptions
compounded on one occasion a young
lady brought the medicine back to the
store and asked Prof. Remington how she
was to rake it. 81 don't know" replied
the professor, "go back to the doctor; he
will tell you"
but have forgotten the directions"
she said, land if / 90 back to him I will
have to pay him 81 again"
Prof. Remington then referred to the
necessity OF the druggist never being "ab-
solutely certain that he was correct" and as
an instance, spoke OF one in Pittsburg, vino
had put cyanide of potassium, malig-
nant poison, in chlorate of potassium
bottle and forgotten it and then put up a
criptIon, involving chlorate of potash.
for an infant and used the poison, causing
the almost immediate death of the little
one. The druggist persisted he had made
no mistake when taken to task and to
prove it took a swallow from what he
thought was the chlorate of potash bottle.
In fifteen minutes he was a corpse, having
died in convulsions.
The Lady PhyAioian.
was III and in a fever,
So they called the doctor in