The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 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.

The press committee of the Proprie-
tary Association Of America viii pre-. |
sent at the next meeting of that body |
n report showing the number OF acci. |
dental deaths caused by patent medl- |
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
polsons. The result showed that only
three per cent. could be traced d.
rectly 10 the products made by the
members OF the association.
The greatest care is said TO have
been exercised in tabulating the flg.
urcs received. Whenever the cause
of death was doubtful, special inves-
tigation was made, 10 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-
sultng fatally or otherwise, were
caused by the carelessncss 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 II 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 II due to the use
| of medicine not regularly prescribed.
A reorganization OF the committees
findings show 4,295 cases OF poisoning.
OF which 1853 were fatal The great.
est number of cases, 1886, with 500
deaths, Is attributed to medicines
other than proprietary remedies.
There are on the list 80 cases of sick
ness and 40 deaths due to patent medi-
cines.
Analysing It's statistics. the commit.
tee finds POI cases Of sickness, with
1i3 deaths, due TO strychnne tablets
which are among physicians favorite
remedies and are often loft within the
reach Of children.
Under the head OF miscellaneous
prescriptions are grouped a cases
where, the report says. 1t has been I'm
possible after diligent 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 n physician. OF these cases IS
were fatal The committee says:
Under the head of All Patent
Medicines are grouped all those rem
edics which are recognized as patent
medicines and which are advertised
direct TO the public for internal use
| rnp,ppt,pt ontIautEtau al
least one.half OF the medicines taker
in the UI1cd States are of the kint
known as patent medicine and ye
in two years among S0000.00O peorl,
there have been Tut ninety case.
tforty.three fatal that have been re
ported in the newspapers from tn,
use or misuse Of these remedies"
Not In single fully substantlatet
case is IL ever charged that any pat
| ent medicine In recommended dose
vas injurious. In this connection
| should be understood that In makin
death certificates and in REPORTING
, cases of injury TO the newspaper
| from which these cases were secured
; q physician had the final word, en-
: in this connection Is there any prof.
i. ability that the doctor will hide hi
; own carelessness or neglect or that G
/. a fellow practitioner whose suppor
( he may want at some time, and
: there even possibility that he Nigh
0 hide any responsibility that could b
n thrown at patent medicine? AS
. yourself these questions. Then whe
I you have found the answer, conside
d that during I'll this most thoroug
t and careful investigation covering
o period of two years, in not a singl
/ established case was 1t shown thi
0 patent medicine in recommends
S doses was injurious.
8 The most remarkable case rcporte
@ was that OF an Italian laborer in Ne
It York who suffered from pains in ii
II chest. A physician ordered a poror
n plaster which the patient ate, wit
[. fatal results.