The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-25
MORPHINE FOR CALOMEL.
DRUGGISTS CLERK MIXED UP TWO
PRESCRIPTION.

Thnt.s WHY Little Solomon Levin Died-Mors
pbino Also Found In the Powder which
mad Been Given 20 Ruth schulanG. 90
whom phenacctin HAD Becn Prescribed.
BY direction Of Coroner Hoeber. Coroner's
Physician Otto II. Schultzo made an autopsy
yesterday upon the body Of Solomon Levin, the
1s.months. old son of Lyman Levin, OF 3 Chrys-
tic street. who died on Thursday evening after
having taken what nrc supposed to have been
morphine tablets, sold by a druggist In mistake
for calomel. The autopsy showed that the child
had certainly died Of poisoning and the poison
is supposed to have been morphine.
The morphine was obtained from the drug
store Of Boris Kohosofr at 1s Baynrd street. The
druggist said yesterday:
''whon the prescription written by DR.. Loe-
wenkopf and calling for onesixth OF a grain
ca.omel tablets was brought into my store, I
was out. Tho store was in charge Of my clerk.
Soloman RIFT, q Russian, ~ years old. Of %
Chrystie street. RIFT has been in this country
only q few months and does not speak English.
He is. however, a competent prescription clerk.
having qualified rs such several years ago in
Russia. Owing to his inability to speak Eng.
lish. however. I never. left him alone, in the
cciyed orders never to mi q prescription.
Me Hid. however. an the prescription for
\ Mi br. h ssdR. an An !, saiiinEp Ffs or onns:siath M 81 q sna Y
morphine tablets. came in about the Same time.
lttt hllo the one prescription immediately
after the other. He labelled the pasteboard
boxes in which tho tablets were to be sent out
and then put the calomel tablets into the NOR
phine box md the morphine tablets into the
calomcl box. That is how the accident result
ing in tho child's death occurre :"
When Gernand heard this story he placed
Ritz under arrest and took him to the Coroners'
office. There tho story was repeated to Coro-
ner Hoeber, who, when he heard 1t, paroled
RIFT in the custody of his employer until
Wednesday morning, when he will be required
to furnish bail in tho sum of 81 900 for his later
anpnarannn EnhpanR rpflsp1 IN IA xyhau In
terviewed. whether RIFT was n licensed phar-
Coroner's Ply sician.Schultze made an autopsy
| yesterday on the body of Ruth Schulang, the
l7-months.old daughter Of Philip Schulang Of
442 East Eighty. eighth street. who died sud
denly ON Thursday afternoon about an hour
after taking a powder prescribed by DR.. Julius
I. MetZger of 1913 East Sixtieth street.
DR.. Metzger's prescription, which called for
pure phenacetin wss:hlled at A. Siekes drugstore
at Avenue A and Eighty eighth street. DR..
SchultZe said that SO far as his autopsy went
the cause of death was gastroenteritis, and
that 1t would require n chemical analysis OF tho
contents OF the stomach to determine the exact
cause.
DR.. Ernest ]. Lederle, tho chemist of the
Health Board, in the meantime, made an anal
ysis Of the powders which the child had taken
and found In preliminary test that they con-
tanned morphine. DR.. Lederlo will make q moro
extensive report to-day. The druggist 10 cor
tain that no mistake was made in filing the
prescription. An inquest in the case viii DO
held on Wednesday.