The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 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 20 Paten.
Medicines. According to Figures
Based on Medical Certificates.

The press committee OF the Proprie
tary Association OF America will pre-
sent az the next meeting OF that bod,
a report showing the number OF acct
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
I ming OF the latest crusade against
proprietary medicines this committee
was instructed 10 collect data This
work was done through the clipping
bureaus. which furnished accounts OF
all deaths. exclusive OF suicide. due 20
the misuse OF medicines. drugs or
poisons. 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 10 have
been exercised in tabulating the fig.
ures received. Whenever the cause
OF death was doubtful, special inves-
tigation was made. no matter whore
the case might have occurred. The
work Of asserting and preparing the
record wss done in Chicago. and the
original clippings and correspondence
are in the possession OF Erwin +.
Kemp. lS4 La Sale street. that city.
The associations publicity agent. The
report says. in part.
\ 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 or children. A large
number. also. were caused By persons
going 10 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 ta-.en
or administered in gross overdose"
The committee says that il is IN
likely that any cases Of death from
the use OF patent medicine escaped
the newspapers. but that il is prob
able that death from the causes tabu.
lated did occur without receiving pub
lefty. Physicians. OF course. report
the causes OF death The committee
says that they would be the last 70
suppress the cause IL due 10 the use
OF medicine not regularly prescribed
A recapitulation Of the committees
show 1926 cases Of poisoning.
OF which 1853 we're fatal. The great
est number Of cases. 1856. with SOC
deaths. is attributed to medicines
other than proprietary remedies.
There are on the list 90 cases OF sick.
ness and 20 deaths due to patent medi.
cines.
Analyzing its statistics. the commit.
tee finds 201 cases OF sickness. with
l43 deaths. due to strychnlne 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. il has been i'm
possible after diiirent INQUIRY 10 as.
certain the name OF the character Of
the drug or medicine which caused in
jury or death. beyond the fact that
The medicine or drug was prescribed
oy a physician. OF these cases is
were fatal. The committee saws.
Under the head OF All Patent
Medicines are grouped all those rem.
edies which are recognized as patent
medicines and which are advertised
direct 70 the public for internal usa
Competent authorities say that AZ
least onehalf Of the medicines taken
Ia the United States are of the kind
known as patent medicine and vet
In two years among 10000. 900 people
there have been but ninety cases
Cforty-three fatal that have been 70.
ported in the newspapers from the
use or misuse Of these remedies"
Not in a single fully substantiated
case is il ever charged that any pat
ent medicine in recommended doses
was injurious. In this connection it
should be understood thu. in making
death certificates and n reporting
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 sons time and is
there even a possibility tkat he might
hide any responsibility that could be
thrown at a patent medicine? Asa
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 a single
established case was il shown that
patent medicine in recommended
doses was injurious.
The most remarkable case roported
was that OF an Italian laborer in New
York who suffered from pains in the
chest. A physician ordered a porous
plaster which the patient ate. with
fatal results.
Would Run No Risk
Darling" said the young man as he
bent fondly over her chair. Il would