, 1909-09-11

in such remedies have been known to medi-
cine for less than twenty-five years. They
are acetanilid, antipyrin, and phenacetin.
Each of them has the property of easing
pain and one or the other Of them is the
active agent in most headache powders, pills,
or draughts. The Bureau Of Chemistry in
the Department of Agriculture, in connec-
ton with its duties in the enforcement Of
the Pure Food Law, has been Investigating
the record of these three drugs in relation
to poisoning, death, and habitnal use. The
result of the investigation has just beon
made public. Physicians, it appears, use
these drugs much less than formerly; but it
is notorious that their use by the general
public is increasing every day. The Bureau
sent q list of questions to 926 physicians,
and received replies from 400 Of them.
These practitioners reported 8l4 cases OF
poisoning from these drugs in their expert
ence, % deaths, and 1876 cases Of habitual
use. In medical literature the Bureau found
reported, in twenty-three years, 855 cases
of poisoning, 26 deaths, and 80 cases OF
habitual use. Granting that the 525 ply
sicians who did not reply had no cases to
report, the question may proftably be asked,
if 925 physicians have observed so many
cases of poisoning, death, and habitual use,
chow many such cases have IN all probability
been observed by the 1875, 900 physicians
scattered throughout the United States p
In more than one-half of the cases of poison
ing, the drug was taken by direction of q
physician. If physicians cannot be sure to
avoid i'll effects i'll using these drugs, what
chance has the unskilled person of escaping
the danger? These three drugs "are poi
sons in the true sense of the word" and
their use in any form without medical ad-
vice is inexcusable rashness. This report OF
the Bureau is a practical illustration Of what
should be al axiom in the mind Of every
sensible person. Do not try to diagnose
our own ailments. Do not prescribe for
yourself. And, above OIL, beware OF RENE
dies which promise, or indeed seem to per
form, miraculous cures. Pain IS a danger
signal set by Nature to warn us Of some
thing wrong within. For a man to seek
to rid himself Of pain by tue use of such
remedies as the three under consideration,
and to congratulate himself on his success,
is as foolish as it would be for Oh engineer,
confronted by the red lamp OF danger, to
smash it with a rock, and 90 ahead IN
confidence that the road was clear because
the danger 81 gnal had ceased to shine
The doctor, traiue in the knowledge Of
physical causes and the effects of drugs,
may very properly use such means to remove
the danger signal after he has noted its
warning and taken steps to remove the
cause. The sufferer who prescribe8 for him
self buys immunity from pain in a dear
market. And no longer has the individual
the excuse Of Ignorance. The Pure Food
Law requires the label to Indicate the pres
ence of any one of these three drugs.
If you will dose yourself, avoid, like the
plague, every remedy whose label pro-
claims the presence of acetan lid, antipyrin,
or phenacetin, however glowing the promises
which the same label may hold forth. The
promises may be false, the nature of the
drugs is sure.