Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1905-12-02
rAE MISUSE oE DRUGS,
Figures OF a Chicago statlstirlan ThN
Are of Unusual Interest.

| Are of Unusual Interest.
Where are the tens of thousands of
persons who are alleged to be the vic.
TINS OF patent medicines? That
they do not exist at all is the conclu.
sion reached by n Chicago statistlcian
who has compiled figures relating to
the injury or death of persons from the
use, or accidental misuse Of drugs, pol
sons and medicines.
1t has been charged by one or tvO
Eastern magazines that patent med
iclnes are injuring those who use them
and, ms these statements are to be used
as arguments for the passage, at the
next legislative session, Of laws pro-
hibiting the sale of these medicines
the figures OF the Chicago statisticau
are Of unusual interest and Importance
That less than one-twentieth as many
persons are injured by the use OF all
"patent" medicines, OF which it has
been possible TO learn the trade name
or the name of the manufacturer, as
are injured by carbolic acid alone, is
one of the facts proven. Carbolic acld
is never mentioned in the attacks, prob
ably for the reason that it is excu-
slvely employed in medication by the
regular schools of medicine" and does
not enter into competition with them,
as do the 'patent" medicines.
The compilation covers GOT cases, re
ported in the newspapers of the coun-
try during the period between June %
and November /. AS the services of
numerous press clipping bureaus were
engaged to furnish clippings of cases
of poisoning there is reasonable assur-
ance that every poisoning case that has
occurred has antn"s.l i..tu-- inc vv.uITrIrT-
ton
None of the 697 cases is n case Of sui
eide, or attempted suicide, or case
wherein n drug or poison was used
with criminal intent. The cases are
actually those of poisoning by the use
or accidental misuse of medicines,
drugs or poisons and death and in
jury by malpractice OF these cases
293 were fatal, 1872 being fatal to adults
and 101 to children.
OF forty cases of alleged malpractice
eleven were fatal and twenty involved
criminal operations. OF six cases in
volving "patent" medicines, the trade
name of which could be learned after
diligent inquiry, five were fatal. Four
were cases where overdoses were tax
en-; two were cases where the medi-
cines had been carelessly left within
the reach of children, who, chlldlike,
ate or drank the contents of the pack
age.
There Is not a recorded case where
injury was caused by USE according to
directions, of "patent" medicines, but
there are recorded cases where pre-
scriptions have been written or flied
wrong.
In 212 of the COZ cases the wrong
medicine was taken, or poison was
taken In mistake for medicine. In 2OS
cases bottles were left within the reach
OF children, and in 90 cases Overdoses
were taken by mistake.
Carbolic acid figures in 141 of the
cases, or in one case in every five. 1t
was fatal in 90 cases. OF these fatal
cases 81 were adults and 20 children.
1t was administered by mistake of
nurses three times; one old gentleman
carrying a bottle of it fell, breaking
the bottle, the contents of which seri-
ously burned him. One little girl. in
play, rubbed it on the faces of her
playmates, all being seriously burned.
Morphine ranked second with &C
cases, 40 of which were fatal; SO to
adults and eight to children. 1t was
taken by mistake six times, and left
within the reach of children 20 times.
Overdoses were taken 40 times, % of
the persons included in the 40 being
habltues. 1t was administered, direct,
by physician once; was administered
to a child by an older child once, and
administered by a medical student
three times.
Laudanum ranks third with 43 cases;
16 fatal, IL adults and four children.
1t was taken by mistake 16 times. left
where children could get it 10 times,
and overdoses were taken II times.
Strychnine ranks fourth with "a
cases; 10 fatal, five to adults and 10 to
children. 1t was taken by mistake
seven times; left in reach of children
l6 times and administered by mistake
of parent once.
Ammonia ranks fifth with ID cases:
none fatal 1t was taken by mistake
Tor medicine 10 times, and left within
the reach of children four times.
Three deaths were caused by the use
of bay rum as beverage. Nine deaths
nearly twice as many as can be at
tributed to all the patent" medlcines)
were caused by the use of Florida wat.
er as beverage.
Fly poison figures in Is cases, and
caused death i'll five, being responsible
for more cases and as many deaths as
all the patent" medicines.
Lye was taken by mistake for medi-
cine five times, and was taken by chill
dren eight times, being responsible for
three deaths. There were "a cases of
ptomaine poisoning, resulting in nine
deaths
Practically every know poison enters
into the 697 cases, and the figures
show conclusively that patent medi-
clnes, while they are vastly ahead in
the number of times used in the aver
age household, are far behind when it
comes to poisoning, or injuring those
who use or accidentally misuse them.
His Sleeping Place.