The Chanute times., 1907-09-27
PROPRIETARY REMEDIES VS..
PHYSICIANS PRESCRIPTIONS
Statistics Show, of the Deaths from
Misuse of Drugs in Two Years, Only
Three Per Cent. Were Due to Patent
Medicines, According to Figures
Based on Medical Certificates.

cines in the two years ending June 80
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 di-
rectly to the products made by the
members of the association.
The greatest care is said to have
been exercised in tabulating the fig
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, 1S4 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 carelessnoss 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 it is I'M
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 committee
says that they would be the last to
suppress the cause if due to the use
of medicine not regularly prescribed.
A recapitulation of the committees
show 1926 cases of poisoning,
of which 1853 were fatal. The great
est number of cases, 1,G36, with S03
deaths, is attributed to medicines
other than proprietary remedies
There are on the list so cases of sick
ness and 43 deaths due to patent medi-
cines.
Analysing it's statistics, the commit
tee finds POI cases of sickness, with
143 deaths, due to strychnine tablets.
which are among physicians favorite
and are often left within the
reach of children.
Under the head of miscellaneous
are grouped Al cases
where, the rerort says, it has been i'm
possible after dlligent inquiry to as
certain the name or the character of
the drug or medicine which caused in
jury or death, beyond the fact that
the medicine or drug was prescribed
by a physician. OF these cases IS |
were fatal. The committee says:
Under tire head of All Patent
Medicines are grouped all these rem
edies which are recognized as patent
and which are advertised |
direct to the public for internal use.
Competent authorities say that at |
least one-half of the medicines taken
in the United State: are of the kind
known as patent medicine and yet
in two years amcns S0,000,000 people
there have been but ninety cases
(forty-three fataD that have been re-
ported in the newspapers from the
use or misuse of these remedies"
Not in a single fully substantiated
case is it over charged that any pat |
ent medicine in recommended doses |
was injurious. In this connection it |
should be understood that in making |
death certificates and in reporting |
cases OF injury to the newspapers |
from which these cases were secured,
q physician had the Gnal word, and |
in this connection is there any prob |
ability that the doctor will hide his |
own carelesslcss or neglect or that of
d lSllON pIdClltiOuCI "HSot SupDOiN |
he may want at some time, and is
there e-ol a possibility that he might |
hide any responsibility that could be
thrown at q patent medicine? Ask
yourself these questions. Then when
you have found the answer, consider
that during all this most thorough
and careful investigation covering a
period Of two years. in not single
established ease was H. shown that
patent medicine in recommended
doses was injurious.
The most remarkable case reported
was that of an Italian labore- in New
York who suffered from pains in the
chest. A physician ordorcd porous
plaster which the patient ale. wiz
fatal results.
No Trouble at All.
Mrs. PcppCry-The- rector OF that
r