Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1910-08-12
run PEBns OF BABYisOolh

The thousands of mothers through
out the country who love their infants
but who are prone to thrust down teir
little Threats any patent medicine a.
hand if it will only quiet the child that
is fretting on account of the hot
weather or some infantile disease.
should note carefully what Dr.. L. B.
Keller, chief OF the division Of drugs
at the bureau OF chemistry in the
agricultural department at Washing
ton, has TO say concerning many of
the patent nostrums on the market.
DR.. Kebler is quoted as saying that
infantiIe paralysis. which is very
prevalent in some Northern states AZ
the present time, and other maladies
that afflict children are undoubtedly
caused by the use OF soothing syrups
containing opiates. They are. all ba-
by-killers, he is quoted as saying,
after he had made analysis of patent
soothing syrups on the market MANY
OF these infants friends may put d
baby to sleep for good, and also
weaken infants so they fall easy prey
to any epidemics of infantile disease.
The preparations often contain large
amount of morphine and other Derry
atiyes of opium. Some contain even
even worse drugs. Ccaine and chloro-
form are not uncommon, and one prep
aration even contains the deadly hash
eesh of India. But the most baby
preparations are largely opiates."
With this definite testimony as re-
CARDS the harmful effects Of patent
preparations for babies. is it possible
fir the mothers of the land to disre-
gard this warning? One cannot notice
the manner in which a fretful infant
win drop off into sound sleep after
the administration Of a dose of one OF
the popular soothing syrups without
wondering htow any mother with
cmmon intelligence can pour such
deadly drugs as are enumerated in
the foregoing paragraph down the
throat of the child she loves. The
sleep and quiet that is induced By
such doses is stupor and partial death
rather than OF healthful rest, but
some parents will insist on dosing
thidren every time the opportunity Of
fers. The exposures and. denunciatiou
of many of these patent medicines that
have been made in many of tn maya
zines of the day should serve to bring
negligent parents . a realization OF
the Importance OF investigating such
things befre they use them.
Many patent medicines are I'M
doubtedly worthy preparations that
have been thorouhly tested and found
to be meritorious, but the worth If
these preparations is hurt by the many
nostrums that flood the market. Prac-
Ideally no limitations are placed upon
the manufacture Of these prepare
lions. except the general restrictions
made by the pure food and drug law.
so that it is necessary f3r any one to
use common sense, intelligence and
discrimination in selecting patent
medicines. The fragrant claims made
by the makers SINE of these prepa-
rations are the cmmn butt of jokes. as
they are so obviously false and mis-
leading as to arouse little if any cred
ibility among thinking people. Yet
there are some people who seem to
rely implicitly on the assertions made
by such manufacturers. Let people
develop wise discrimination concern
iag not only the soothing syraps, but
also the other patent preparations.