Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1907-10-04
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-
lary Association Of America will pre-
sent at the next meeting of that body
a report showing the number OF acct
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
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 #.
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 IN
likely that any cases of death from
the use of patent medicine escaped
the newspapers, but that 1t 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 recapituation of the committees
findings show 1926 cases of poisoning.
( of which 1,753 were fatal. The great
est number OF cases. 1886, with 800
deaths, is attributed to medicines
K other than proprietary remedies.
v There are on the list 80 cases of sick
a ness and 43 deaths due to patent medi.
v cines.
4 Analysing its statistics, the commit
d tee finds 201 cases of sickness, with
' 143 deaths, due to strychnine tablets
d which are among physicians favorite
q remedies and are often left within the
At reach of children.
e Under the head of miscellaneous
,e prescriptions are grouped IA cases
IL where, the report says, 1t has been i'm
le possible after diligent inquiry to as
N certain the name or the character o
O. the drug or medicine which caused in
le jury or death, beyond the fact tina
III the medicine or drug was prescribed
at by physician. OF these cases Il
k. We're fatal. The committee says:
be Under the. head of All Paten
Medicines are grouped all those rem
IN edies which are recognized as paten
ng medicines and which are advertise,
N. direct to the public for internal use
Sc Competent authorities say that a
O least one-half of the medicines take
he in the United States are of the kin
he known as patent incidence and We
ry in two years among S0,000,0 900 peopl
ok there have been but ninety case
an Qorty.three fatal that have been r,
In ported in the newspapers from tn
nd use or misuse of these remedies"
Not in IL single fully substantiate
case is it ever charged that any pa
lte ent medicine in recommended dos
wP was Injurious In this connection
ost should be understood that in makil
are death certificates and in reportiI
OF cases OF injury to the newsnape
The from which these cases We're secure
,ck physician had the final word, al
are III this connection is there any pre-
3 ability that the doctor will hide /
zen own earelessness or neglect or that
use fellow practitioner whose snppC
hat he may want at some time, and
there even possibility that he mig
WIN hide any responsibility that could
silk thrown at a patent medicine? A
al yourself these questions. Then VIII
APPS you have found the answer consid
that during all this most thorou
ave and careful investigation covering
to period of two years. in not a SIM
are established case was it shown Il
ele, patent medicine in recommend
and doses WAS injurious
no The most remarkable case report
was that of an Italian laborer in N
York who suffered from pains in |
chest. physician ordered a pore
odi- plaster which the patient ate "
rich fatal results.
ues.
fur Would Run No Risk,