Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-08
"DOCTORED" CHEMICALS
DETECTED IN NEW YORK STORES
BY THE BOARD OF HEALTH.
Wood Alcohol Substituted for That
From Grain in Medicines for
Internal Use.
From the Brooklyn Eagle.


Investigation of alleged drug adulteraton
has given the New York health depart
ment something to think about. Analysis
has proved that the evil exists to a lar
greater extent than would have been be-
ueved possible; that supposedly reputable
druggists really do adulterate their chem
tcals-or sell adulterated chemicals-to
startling extent In some instances 1t has
been found that 1t is not merely a case of
the sdulteration of the drug asked for, but
of the substitution of entirely different
and far cheaper substance for the one
asked for And while in the main the
chemicals used as adulterants are in them
selves harmless, 1t has been proved that
In at least one compound a well-knoWn
noison has been widely substituted for
more expensive chemical
The investigation has been in the hands
of DR.. Joseph A. Deghuee, head of the
health departments chemlcai iap0ratory.
The most startling results that Dr. Deghuee
has obtained bear on the substitution OF
methyl for ethyl alcohol In certain stand
ard compounds. Methyl or wood alcohol is
well known as poison ana Is entlreiy an
ferent In it's effects from ethyl or grain al
cohoI 1t is a product of the distlllation OF
wood, and all commercial grades contain
impurities of which the principal is ace
tone Numerous instances OF serious and
use in medicinal preparations. Less than
half an ounce produced total and perma-
nent blindness and three ounces have
Methyl Alcohol.
Blindness has also been caused by ex-
ternal use of wood alcohol. when Its path
way of entrance was merely through the
lungs, and the skin of the hands and fore
arm. DR.. Reid Hunt of Johns Hopkins
says:
"Experiments show conclusively that
however pure the preparation may be it
(methyl alcohoD is totally unfit for use as
a substitute for grain alcohol in any prep
aration which is to be taken internally, and
especially in preparations which are to be
taken for any length Of time"
Having reason to believe that druggists
| were usne II in certain compounds into
which ethyl alcohol entered largely, DIR.
Deghuee analysed number OF samples of
| Jamaica ginger and of spirits of camphor;
both of them common household remedies;
both of them freely sold and freely admin
istered without a physician order.
The preparations of ginger. he found,
were all properly compounded. but in a
| number of instances methyl alcohol had
| hean used in compounding spirits of cam
phor This should be 10 per cent solution
| of camphor in alcohol, ana is nearly always
prepared by the retailer, ~ TX 10 samples ieas
ethyI alcohol while 40 contained methyl.
That is. admitting that the samples were
fairly representative. almost 20 per cent of
the druggists of New York 90 not hesitate
to use poison IN compounding an ordinary
household remedy that any person of av-
erage discretion would consider himself
iustifed administering externally or in
ternally as he saw fit. That is rather a
startling showing for an enlightened COM
munity!
Poison in Camphor.s
OF the forty samples that contained wood
alcohol, thirty contained wood alcohol pure
and simple. while ten contained a mixture
of both Sorts Five of the adulterated sam
pies were marked For external use only"
| Not one of them was marked plainly and
| emphaticany Poison" And three of them
| had directions for internal dose printed on
| the label In these three methyl alcohol
| was used exclusively. The others were
| simply labeled Spirits of Camphor"