Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 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.

Medicines, According to Figures
Based on Medical Certificates.
The press committee of the Proprle-
tary 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 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 +.
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, we're
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
n taking down the wrong bottle.
In no case reported was any medicine,
patent OF 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 un.
likely that n cases OF death from
the use OF patent medicine escaped
the newspapers, but that II Is prob.
able that death from the causes tabu.
~ uiu o''ul "iNllOuN ItNtlNllk pun
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 1926 cases Of poisoning,
OF which 1853 were fatal. The great.
est namber Of cases, 1876, 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 its statistics, the commit.
tee finds POI cases OF sickness, with
143 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, II 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 An Paten;
Medicines are grouped all those rem
die which are recognized as paten,
medicines Inc which are advertised
direct to the public for internal use
Competent authorities say that al
least one-half OF the medicines taker
In the United States are Of the kline
known as patent medicine and yer
in two years among 10000, 900 peopl,
there have been but ninety case
Oforty.three fatal that have been re
ported in the newspapers from tn,
use or misuse Of these remedies"
Not in a single fully ~suUstantiatet
case is IL ever charged that any pat
ent medicine In recommended dose
wal injurious. In this connection /
should be understood that in making
death certificates and in REPORTING
cases of injury to the newspaper
! from which these cases were secured
a physician had the final word, an,
: In this connection Is there any prot
ability that the doctor will hide hi
! own Carelessness or neglect or that @
a fellow practitioner whose supper
he may want at some time, and
there even a possibility that he Nigh
hide any responsibility that could b
; thrown at a patent medicine? As
I yourself these questions. Then whe
: you have found the answer, conside