The new era. (Walden, Colo.) 1906-19??, 1907-10-03
PROPRIETARY REMEDIES vs..
PHYSICIANS PRESCRIPTIONS


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
a report showing the number Of acci.
dental deaths caused by patent medi-
cines In the two years ending June 30.
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
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 fig
ures received. Whenever the cause
Of death was doubful, 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 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 IL due to the use
of medicine not regularly prescribed.
A recapitulation of the committees
findings show 1925 cases of poisoning,
Of which 1853 were fatal. The great
est number Of cases, 1886. with 8O3
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-
ctnes
Analyzing Its statistics. the commit.
tee finds POI cases of sickness, with
l43 deaths. due to strychnine tablets,
which are among physicians favorite
remedies and are often left within the
reach Of children.
Under the head of miscellaneous
prescriptions are grouped "A cases
where. the report says. it 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 a physician. OF these cases IS
were 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 at
least one-half of the medicines taken
In the United States are Of the kind
known as patent medicine and yet
In two years among $4,000, 900 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 ever charged that any pat
ent medicine in recommended doses
was injurious. In this connection 1t
should be understood that in making
death certificates and in reporting
cases of injury to the newspapers
from which these cases were secured.
a physician had the final word, and
III ILLS COuueCtlOl 10 tASiO ohy Piou-
ability that the doctor will hide his
own carelessness or neglect or that OF
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
period of two years, in not single
established case was it shown that
patent medicine in recommended