The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1907-11-02
PRopRIETARY REMEDIES vs..
PHYSICIANS PRESCRIPTIONS
statistics Show, Of the Deaths rom
Misuse Of Drugs In Two Years. o"'y
Three Per Cent. Were Due to Patent
Medicines, According 70 Figures
Based on Medical Certificates.

la
Based on Medical Certificates.
The nress committee of the Proprie'
tarv Association of America will pre-
sent at the next meeting of that BODY
a report showing the number OF acci'
dental deaths caused by patent meal
c,nes in the two years ending June 81,
1907 as compared with deaths from
other causes.
Almost Immediately after the begin
ming of the latest crusade against
proprietary medicines this committee
was instructed to collect data. This
work was done through the clipping
bureaus. which furnished accounts OF
all deaths. exclusive of suicide, due to
the misuse of medicines, drugs or
poisons. The result showed that only
three per cent. could be traced d.
rectly to the products made by the
members of the association.
The greatest care is said to have
been exercised in tabulating the ng-
ures received. Whenever the cause
of death was doubtful, special inves-
tigation was made, no matter where
the case might have occurred. The
work of asserting and preparing the
record was done In Chicago, and the
original clippings and correspondence
are in the possession of Erwin F.
Kemp, 1874 La Sale street. that city.
the associations publicity agent. The
report says, in part:
"A large number OF accidents, re-
sulting fatally or otherwise, were
caused by the carelessness of persons
who left drugs, medicines or poisons
within the reach of children. A large
number, also, were caused by persons
going to medicine cabinets In the dark
and taking down the wrong bottle.
In no case reported was any medicine,
patent or otherwise, held responsible
for injury or death except when left
within the reach of children or taken
| or administered in gross overdose"
| The committee says that 1t Is un-
likely that any cases Of death from
the use of patent medicine escaped
the newspapers, but that it is prob
able that death from the causes tabu-
lated did occur without receiving pub
licity. Physicians, Of course, report
the causes of death. The COMMITTEES
says that they would be the last to
suppress the cause II due to the use
of medicine not regularly prescribed
A recapitulation of the committee'a
findings show 1926 cases of poisoning
} of which 1853 were fatal. The great
3 est number of cases, 1856, with 80;
: deaths. is attributed to medicines
/ other than proprietary remedies
There are on the list 80 cases of sick
; ness and 43 deaths due to patent medi
a cines.
Il Analysing its statistics, the commit
( tee finds 201 cases of sickness, witt
Q 143 deaths, due to strychnine tablets
|. which are among physicians favorit
9 remedies and are often left within tn
q reach of children.
b Under the head Of miscellaneou
l. prescriptions are grouped A case
q where, the report says, it has been In
/, possible after diligent inquiry to Al
e pertain the name or the character q
: the drug or medicine which caused II
l. jury or death. beyond the fact tbs
q the medicine or drug was prescribe
IS by q physician. OF these cases /
were fatal. The committee says:
70 under the head of All Pater
q Medicines are grouped all those rem
a. edies which are recognized as pater
"a medicines and which are advertise
le direct to the public for internal us
Competent authorities say that
% least one-half of the medicines take
,e In the United States are Of the kir
q known as patent medicine and y
in two years among $4,000, 900 Peep
there have been but ninety cas-
(forty-three fatal) that have been I
l ported in the newspapers from Il
l use or misuse Of these remedies"
Not in a single fully substantial
| case is 1t ever charged that any p'
emit medicine in recommended dos
was Injurious. In this connection
| should be understood that in MAXI
| death certificates and In reportil
cases of injury to the newspape
from which these cases were secure
q physician had the final word, q
In this connection is there any prt
| ability that the doctor will hide
| own carelessness or neglect or that
q fellow practitioner whose suppt
| he may want at some time. and
there even possibility that he mie
hide any responsibility that could
IN thrown at a patent medicine7 A
nd yourself these questions. Then VIII
you have found the answer, consit
cd that during all this most thorou
,er and careful investigation covering
on period of two years. in not sim
a established case was 1t shown Il
as patent meoicine IN innien'
no doses was injurious.