Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1907-09-26
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 will pre-
sent at the next meeting of that body
aTeport showing the number OF acct
dental deaths caused by patent medi
cines in the two years ending June 80
1907, as compared with deaths from
other causes.
Almost Immediately after the begin
ming of tho 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. coald be traced al
rectly to the products made by the
members Of the association.
The greatest care Is said to have
Seen exercised in tabulating the fig
ures received. Whenever the cause
of death was doubtful, special inves
tigatlon was made, no matter where
the case might have occurred. The
Nork of asserting and preparing the
record was done In Chicago, and tho
original clippings and correspondence
are in the possession Of Erwin #.
Kemp, 1S4 La Sale street, that city
the associaticn's 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
Ind taking down the wrong bottle
In no case reported was any medicine
patent or otherwise, held responsible
Tor injury or death except when left
within the reach OF children or taken
,r administered In gross overdose"
The committee says that It is un
likely that any cases of death from
he use OF patent medicine escaped
he newspapers, but that it Is prob
able that death from the causes tabu
ated did occur without receiving pub
lefty. Physicians, Of course, report
he causes Of death. The COMMITTEES
says that they would be the last to
suppress the cause IL due to the use
IL medicine not regularly prescribed
a recapitulation of the committees
findings show 1926 cases OF poisoning
IF which 1853 were fatal The great
EST number of cases, 1895, with 500
deaths, is attributed to medicines
other than proprietary remedies
There are on the list 80 cases of sick
aess and 20 deaths due to patent medi
cines.
Analysing its statistics, the commit
zee finds 201 cases of sickness, with
t43 deaths, due to strychnine tablets
which are among physicians favorit,
remedies and are often left 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
me drug or medicine which caused In
Jury or death, beyond the fact that
the medicine or drug was prescribed
by physician. or these cases 18
we're fatal. The committee says:
Under the head OF All Patent
Medicines are grouped all those rem
edies which are recognized as patent
medicines and which are advertised
direct to the public for internal use.
Competent authorities say that nj
least one-half of the medicines taken
In the United States are of the kind
known as patent medicine and vet
IN TWO years among $4,000, 900 people
there have been but ninety case,
forty-three fatal) that have been re
ported In the newspapers from tn,
use or misuse OF these remedies"
Not In single fully substantiatet
case Is 1t ever charged that any pat
emit medicine in recommended doses
was injurious. In this connection II
should be understood that In making
death certificates and in reportins
cases OF injury TO the newspapers
from which these cases were secured
a physician had the final word, and
In this connection Is there any prob
ability that the doctor will hide his
own carelessness or neglect or that OF
a fellow practitioner whose support
he may want at some time, and Is
there even a possibility that he might
hide any responsibility that could be
thrown at 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 case was 1t shown that
patent medicine In recommended
doses was injurious.
The most remarkable case reported
was that of an Italian laborer In New
York who suffered from pains In the
chest. A physician ordered porous
plaster which the patient ate. with
fatel results.