St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1907-10-12
PROPRIETARY REMEDIES VS.,
PHYSICIANS PRESCRIP TlOHS

Statistics Show, of the Deaths from
Misuse ofs)rugs in TWO Years, Only
Three per Cent. Were Due 70 Patent
Medicines, According to Figures
Based on Medical Certificates.
The press committee Of the Proprie-
tary Association Of America VIII pre-
sent at the next meeting OF that poay
a report showing the number q acci-
dental deaths caused by patent medl-
cines 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 inns
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 oil
rectIy 10 the products made by the
members of the association.
The greatest care is said TO have
been exercised in tabulating the ne
ures received. Whenever the cause
of death was doubtful, special 1nVes-
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 Z.
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 20 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 IN
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 reorganization of the committees
findings show 1925 cases of poisoning,
Of which 1,753 were fatal The great
est number of cases, 1856, with 500
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 its statistics, the commit.
tee finds 201 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.
k116GE11hHEOuH
prescriptions are grouped A cases
where, the report says, it 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 physician. OF these cases lis
were fatal. The committee says:
Under the head Of sAn 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 at
least one-half of the medicines taken
In the United States are of the kind
known as patent medicine and vet
In two years among 10000. 900 peopla
there have been but ninety casas
(forty-three fatal) that have been 70.
ported in the newspapers from tha
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 De understood that in making
death certificates and in 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 some time. and III
there even a possibility that he might
hide any responsibility that could be
thrown at a patent medicine2 Ask
yourself these questions. Then when
you have found the answer, consider
that during all this most thorough
ana careful investigation covering 4
period OF two years, in not single
established case was 1t shown that
patent medicine in recommended
doses was injurious.
The most remarkable case renorfed
was that Of an Italian laborer in New
York who suffered from pains in the
chest. A physician ordered . porous
plaster which the patient ate WITH
fatal results.
Origin of scotland's Motto.
1t was thought by the Danes to he