Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-03-12
Mother Frantic in Grief
Blames Self for Hav-
ing Been Cause of
ChiId's Illness.
OVERDOSE, +" IS
DOCTORS VIEW
Druggist Who Filled Pre-
scription Fails to Throw
Light on Case When
Asked AboutC Compound

Suffering an overdose of medicine
administered for a cold. 5-year-old
Bertha Knobloch. of 90 Clay street. Is
in a critical condition at the City Hos
piral today. The physicians at the
hospital say the child is suffering
heroin poisoning The distracted
mother, Mrs. Philip Knobioch. Is at
the child's bedside and refuses to be
comforted and in tears blames herself
for having been the cause Of her childs
illness. DR.. Samuel Hirschberg. Of 145
South Orange avenue, the physician
who prescribed the medicine for the
little child, says the mother did not
follow his directions, while the drug
gist, Paul r. Knecht, of Broad and
Clay streets, refuses to talk or tell
what the powders he Compounded con-
tain.
Little Bertha was suffering from 2
severe cold and Sunday Bf. Hirsch-
berg vas called in. He prescribed and
| told the mother that the child was in
no immediate danger. Yesterday the
child showed no signs OF improvement
and DR.. Hirschberg was again sum-
noned He called In the afternoon
and prescribed a powder. Peter Blake,
an employee of Philip Knobloch. was
sent to the drug store He returned
with the medicine and one of the
powders was given the child. Then
Mrs Knobloch sent Blake back to the
drug store for some camphorated OIL
When Blake told the druggist that
he wanted the oil for the same little
girl for whom the powders had beent
compounded he says the druggist ex-
claimed, For a little girl? Why
thought they were for an older per-
SON" Blake returned TO the Knobloeh
home and told what the druggist had
said. This did not seem to have much
effect on the mother, for she said she
really paid little attention to what
Blake told her, as she was busy rub
/ bing the oil on the little girls chest
1 Mrs. Knobloch said she gave the
child three powders and toward mid
night noticed that her daughter be-
came cold and stiff. She quickly sum
moned DR.. Hirschberg, who arrived in
| his automobile about midnight. He.
she said, telephoned for the City Hos
pital ambulance and accompanied the
/ child in the conveyance to the hospital.
4 He returned for his automobile later.
| The physicians at the hospital used
all medical skill to resuscitate the
child, who was in stupor. Toward
morning the little one responded some
/ what to the treatment, but not enough
to encourage the physicians, who say
she Is in critical condition. Tile pow
ders were taken to the hospital and
here 1t was learned that they contained
a quantity of heroin.
DR.. Hirschberg. when terfiewed, de-
clared that the fault was that of the
mother 81 told her TO give the child
one powder every two hours and the
box was so labeled. The mother told
me that she gave the child one powder
every hour. This was too much for the
little one and caused the stupor. The
/ opiate was one that is used In medi-
cine very often, and so far has never
caused any Ill effects when prescribed
in the dose as in this case"
"The child was susceptible to the
drugs and had the mother been caro-
ful and closely followed directions the
medicine would have done its work
properly. It is an absolute fact in
medicines that it takes several hours
\ for the drug to be eliminated from the
| anu Ills 10 Nitab GAACA%A nov
been allowed In this instance.
THE child is no longer In a critical
condition and practically out Of dan
ger The respiration is normal and
the heart action good. By tomorrow
morning the child will be able to go
home to it's parents"
An examination of the box shows
that the word two" runs into the next
letter a." but this in no way interferes
with the reading of the directions. The
druggist had performed his duty and
labeled the powder according to the
directions Of the physician.
The mother when she f1rst noticed
the condition of the child went to the
drug store and told the druggist how
strangely her daughter was acting
When the druggist became aware that
the mother had given the child three
powders in three hours he advised her
to summon the physician.