New-York tribune., 1909-07-13
THREE PERILOUS DRUGS
WARNTNG TO THE PUBLIC.
Agricultural Department on Use Of
Phenacetin. AcetaniTid and Antipyrin
rFron TIE Tribune Rureau.

TFrom TIE Tribune RureauI
| Washington. July t2.-Since the passage o1 the
pure food and drugs act the attention OF the De
| partrnent of Agriculture has been directed to an
| Investigation of three common drugs -phenacetln
| scetsnfd and antipyrin-and attempt has naell
made TO obtain full and trustworthy Information IN
| regard to their poisonous and habit producing qua
| tiles. The widespread use to which these drugs
! have been pu makes this investigate psrtic'i-
larly fnportant one. and despite wide divergence
~ opinion in the medical world the department. mas
decided that much greater care must be exercised
in their prescription and more careful supervision
If their use It has been found that the indtscrtm-
mate and i'll advised consumption Of these drugs
! BY the laitv has produced evil results in many
cases and that the reported cases Of poisoning by
these agents or preparations containing them has
| increased notably IN the last few years.
! The investigation indicates that all these drugs
are now used less than formerly hv medical prac
titioners OF the physicians who gave information
70 the department OF this subject Sc per cent
that they acetanilid less frequently than for
nerlv. nearly 66 per cent make the statement
With regard to antipyrn and II per cent with re
gard to phenacetin. The reason given for this de-
crease in almost every instance that tho toxic
properties IF the drugs objectionable and that
their effect Is particularly depressing the heart
The fact that thev poisons En- the true sense ~
+he word is recognized hy the medical profession.
bur appears doubtful whether the general public
: either of this fact that thev possess any
poisonous qualities Certainly this knowledge docs
not appear general in vfey of the Increasing
sale Of these drugs 10 the puh',
The Department of Agriculture IN Us investlEa-
tiou did not intend in any way 70 deprroiafe tho
value Of these substances as medicinal agencies but
"a ther to furnish the pubic information which
would show that these remedies should he employed
with the utmost caution in the absence ~ trust
worthy medical advice Much has ALREADY heen
acornpsred along this line bv the pure food and
drugs act which requires 1hat the label Of each
package shall information relative
'itv proportion tho ingredients and their de
rfvatives and preparations Ry far the greater
number of manufs scturers have shown disposition
to comply with this Law hut the investigation
shows that many prepsrat tonE containing these Or
other poisonous agents bear statements which trans
fress this section % tho law. Some Of the manu-
facturers not content with asserting that their
preparations possess poisonous qualities, claim
that they act nourishment
For the purpose of obtaining first hand iuforma
tion the department sent out circular letter 70
physicians asking them to 2 number Of ques
tious IN regard 20 tho Of these drugs -Four
hundred replies received. and these show
nearly two thousand cases Of poisoning from the
three drugs reported by the four hundred physi-
clans II this proportion maintained through
out the United States the total number Of cascs
reported by the 1c5 oo0 rhyajcIaus would total
about six hundred thousand. OF the three drugs #
prpesrs tnpt phonacetn Is thr most used. with
scetanHid second. while autipvrin Is apparently
used much less extent than either Of the others
only per cent of physicaas StntnS that they use
i- either moderately or frequently. The reason for
the more extensive Of phenacetn is undoubtedly
- be found in tho fact that 1t is generally regarded
being tho least harmful OF these agents.
REPORT ON THE THREE DRUGS
In hts report on the drugs to the Department o.
Agriculture L. F. Kebler, chief Of the division Of
drugs makes the following statement:
The, report ot the therapeutlc committee of' he
British Medical Association with regard 80 the hi
effects Of acetaniltd. antipyrin and phenacetin
published IN 1894. made deep impression on the
bout a more conservative use NJ these drugs es-
recslly so far as dosage is concerned. The com.
yTa ~ ma i raG '' re 5I ri'F9 i 10 'SF ne ei, 4i
snd excessive dosage. and n harmony with this
Confusion It suggested that they should be used
ne he doses enpioved ba,a been ~Gsier thsn
before, and It has been noted that coincidentaiy
Hlg from the ingeston Of these remedies has fallen
oR 70 remarkable extent. 4 point Of interest I'm
connection With the subject of dosage and fire.
quency of COMMUNICATION was brought out a
certain headache remedy containing among other
ngredients acetaniiid and antipyrin The evidence
are not sufcienty definite 70 safegi,ard ne con
slmer against too frequent repetition Of the dose
aud. Ia fact that many of them advised a repen-
obtained. An examination Of a number Of prescrip-
IONS % for for adults on hie in various pharmacies in
Washington brought INTO court as evidence sup
Plie4T the Iolowlgg Information on these points:
2 f3 grains, and Of phenacetn 193 grains: - the
average interval between doses was, in Of the
TWO remedies. sos hours
The figures collected y Dr. KebIer SHOW, that in
more than half the cases reported the exceSsee
use of the drug vas prescribed by q physician
This fact is especially significant in connection with
The Increasing sale of these agents directly To the
public. In such cases the remedy is taken bv the
patient without proper medical advice and SUPER
vision, and its administration Is not surrounded
bv those safeguards which usually attend the
taking of medicine when prescribed bv a physician
An effort was made to obtain information with
regard to the extent which drugs are rsed
hahtualIy. as 1t has long been known that they
are habit forming. The ha IS acquired in most
Instances through the Of the rene,ly without
the supervision Of a physician for the rsilaf Of
minor aches and pains. These affections arc usual
iS ~ recurrent character. and the dose must be
repeated. SO that tho patient may time become
dependent on It, And prolonged use Of the /
nru rugs tends to produce impaired condition OF
'he general health their use Is accompanied nv a
lessened resistance the part Of rhe body 10 dis
case. Under these circumstances the affection for
hich the remedy was originally intended assumes I.
additional call for the drug u IS The belief of /
many physicians that in It's bsnefu effects on the
system, and in the difficulty which is experienced
in giving M the drug, the ha Bit ranks as an eyu
0ith the opium habit In spite Of this fact II ,z /
becoming more apparent that the habitual use of /
These agents Is spreading. and the Agricultural De !
partment believes that the country should he ar- |
uuaiuted with the facts
SAYS GOWNS WERE NOT cMI1ccTr0