The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1907-10-03
PROPRIETARY REMEDIES VS..
PHYSICIANS PRESCRIPTIONS
statistics Show, Of the Deaths rom
Misuse Of Drugs in Two Years on'J
1b,s. Per Cent. Were Due to Patent
Medicines. According to Figures
Based on Medical Certificates

Medicines, According 10 r'sH
a..sa on Medical Certificates.
The nress committee Of the Proprie-
tarv Association of America VIII pre-
sent al the next meeting OF that Oou!
a retort showing the number OF aec'
dental deaths caused by patent heui'
cinas I'm the two years ending June 5o'
1907 as compared with deaths from
other causes.
Almost Immediately after the begin
ming OF the latest crusade against
proprietary medicines this commlttee
was instructed 10 collect data. ms
work was done through the clipping
bureaus. which furnished accounts OF
all deaths. exclusive Of suicide, due 70
the misuse of medicines, drugs OF
poisons. The result showed that oniy
three per cent. could be traced oil
rectly to the products made by the
members OF the association.
The greatest care is said to nave
been exercised in tabulating the ng-
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 f.
Kemp. 1874 La Sale street, that city
the associations publicity agent. Inc
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 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 un-
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 If due to the use
| of medicine not regularly prescribed.
A recapitulation of the committee s
findings show 1926 eases OF poisoning,
OF which 1853 were fatal. The great
est number of cases, 1886. with SO3
deaths, is attributed to medicines
other than proprietary remedies.
There are on the list 80 cases of sick.
ness and 43 deaths due to patent medi.
cines
Analysing it's 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. it has been inn
possible after dillgent 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 physician. or 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 al
least one-half of the medicines taker
In the United States are of the kim
known as patent medicine, and vel
In two years among $4,000, 900 peoplt
there have been but ninety case,
uorty'three fataD that have been re
ported In the newspapers from tn,
use or misuse Of these remedies"
Not in a single fully substantiate,
case is 1t ever charged that any pa,
emit medicine in recommended dose
was injurious. In this connection i
should be understood that in making
death certificates and in reportin
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 G
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 patent medicine? As
Yourself these questions. Then whe
you have found the answer. conside
that during all this most thoroug
and careful investigation covering
period OF two years, in not a singl
established case was It shown ths
. patent medicine in recommends
{ doses was injurious.
The most remarkable case reporte
was that OF an Italian laborer in Ne,
York who suffered from pains In III
chest A physician ordered a poro,1
plaster which the patient ate, wit
fatal results.