The Ordway new era. (Ordway, Colo.) 1902-1927, 1907-09-27
PROPRIETARY REMEDIES vs..
PHYSICIANS PRESCRIPTIONS
statistics Show. Of the Deaths from
Misuse Of Drugs In Two Years. o"'y
Three Per Cent. Were Due to Patent
Medicines, According to Figures
a..ed on Medical Certificates.

Til. prcss committee OF the Proprie
tary Association OF America VIII pre-
sent at the next meeting of that pod'
n report showing the number OF acci
dental deaths caused by patent mcdi
clnes in the two years ending June ~
1907. as compared with deaths IRON
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
nelson's 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 ns'
ures received. Whenever the cause
OF death was doubtful. special inves-
! tigation was made, no matter wher"
the case might have occurred. The
work o. asserting and preparing the
record was done In Chicago. and the
original clippings and correspondence
are In the possession OF Erwin ?,
Kemp. Is4 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 ief;
within the reach OF children or taken
or administered in gross overdose
The committee says that IL is un.
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.
liclty. 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 recapitulation OF the committees
findings show 1926 cases OF poisoning.
OF which i.753 were fatal. The great.
est number OF cases. 1856. with sos
deaths, Is attributed to medicines
other than proprietary remedies.
Thor.
ness and 20 deaths due to patent medi.
zines.
AnalyEing its statistics. the commit
Tee finds 20l cases of sickness. with
ii3 deaths. due to strychnine tablets.
which are among physicians fayorite
--HErffr-s anu Hrr often IcTt within the
reach OF children.
Under the head Of miscellaneous
are grouped ~ cases
where. the report says. II has been i'm.
possible after dItecnt inquiry to as.
,eFtain the name or the character OF
he 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 An Pateu;
Medicines are grouped all those rem.
=dies which are recognized as uatept
medicines and which are advertised
iirect to the public for internal use.
Competent authorities say that ,t
least one-half of the medicines taken
IN the United States are OF the kind
known as patent medicine and vet
u Two years among S0,000, 900 people
mere nave been but ninety cases
tiorty-three fatall that have baer -.
ported in the newspapers from m.
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 it
should be understood that in making
death certificates and in reporting
cases OF injury to the newspapers
from which these cases were secured,
physician had the final word, and
in this connection is there any prob
ability that the doctor will hide his
own carelessnsss or neglect or that OF
fellow practitioner whose support
he may want at some time. and is
there even a possibility that he nigh,
hide any responsibility that could be
thrown al a patent medicine7 Ask
yourself these questions. Then when
you have found the answer. conside,
that during all this most thorough
and careful investigation covering q
period of two years, in not a singl.
established case was 1t shown tha
I patent medicine In recommended
| doses was injurious
The most remarkable case reported
was that of an Italian laborer in New
York who suffered from pains in tn.
chest physician ordered a porou