The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1905-12-01
THE MISUSE or DRUGS:
yigures or n Chicago ststisticisn That
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 a Chicago statistician
who has compiled figures relating 10
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 two
Eastern magazines that patent" med
icines are injuring those who use them
| and, as 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 statistician
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 II has
been possible to learn the trade name.
or the name Of the manufacturer, as
are injured by carbOllc acid alone, is
one Of the facts proven. Carbolic acid
Is never mentioned i'm the attacks, prob
ably for the reason that II is exclu-
sively employed I'm medication by the
regular Schools of medicine" and does
not enter into competition with them,
as do the patent" medicines.
The compilation covers 697 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 entered into the compila.
tiOn.
None Of the 607 cases is case OF sui
eide, or attempted suicide, or case
wherein 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. or 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 taxi
en-: two We're cases where the medi-
cines had been carelessy left within
the reach of children. who, chldlike,
ate or drank the contents of the pack
age.
There Is not n recorded case where
injury was caused by use, according 10
directions. OF patent" medicines. but
there are recorded cases where pre-
scriptions have been written or filled
wrong.
In 212 Of the COZ cases the wrong
medicine was taken. or poison was
taken in mistake for medicine. In EOS
cases bottles were left within the reach
of children, and in 9G cases overdoses
We're taken by mistake.
Carbolic acid figures in 141 OF the
cases. or in one case In every five. 1t
was fatal in - cases. or these fatal
cases - We're adults and 90 children.
Ii was administered by mistake Of
nurses three times; one old gentleman
carrying n 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 6C
cases. 46 of which were fatal: 3S to
adults and eight to children. II was
taken by mistake six times, and left
within the reach OF children 20 times
Overdoses were taken 40 times. o3 OF
the persons included in the 40 being
habitues. 1t was administered. direct.
by physician once; was administered
to child by an older child once. and
administered by medical student
three times.
Laudanum ranks third with 43 cases:
16 fatal. l. adults and four children.
1t was taken by mistake 16 times. left
where children could get II 10 times.
and overdoses were taken IL times.
Strychnine ranks fourth with "a
cases; IL fatal. five To adults and 10 to
children. 1t was taken by mistake
seven times; left in reach OF children
10 times and administered by mistake
OF parent once.
Ammonia ranks fifth with II cases:
none fatal. 1t was taken by mistake
for 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
lnearly twice rs many as can he at.
tributed TO all the patent medicines)
were caused 10y the use of Florida wat.
or rs n beverage.
Fly poison figures in II cases. and
caused death in five. being responsible
for more cases and as many deaths as
oil the patent" medicines.
Eye was taken Ivy mistake for medi.
cine five times, and was taken by chill.
irCt eight times. being responsible for
three deaths. There were 81 cases OF
ptomainc poisoning. resulting In nine
deaths.