New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-12-17

into the world Of medicine IN 1886,
when this deadly heart depressing drug
was used freely, the bulletin says mat
the deaths caused b. the III advised
use Of the drug can only be sUrmised.
In the first year OF It's use ia cases OF
poisoning were recorded in medical
journals. The cases Of poisoninSs be-
gan 20 decrease as :he dangerous quar-
tiles Of this new heart depressant be-
came known.
Ten years ago the cases OF poison
ings from acetanilid began TO increase
az an alarming rate so alarming that
the United States government began an
investigation into is use. together with
the use OF ace.phenetidin and anti
pyrin. A. result OF THE investlgs-
ton the bulletin referred 10, entitled
"The Harmful Effects OF Acetanilid,
Antipyrin and Phenacitiu lAcetphene-
tidin)." made its appearance.
Commenting or the increase IN POI
sonings from these drugs. the bulletin
observes that the use Of these heart
depressants by the "lGity,' without the
supervision Of physicians. was largely
responsible. OF the Use of acetanlhc,
which Is found i'm BTomo-Seltzer, Shac,
Or. James's Brand Miniature Head
ache Powders. Orangeine and scores o.
other headache "cures,' the United
States Bureau Of Chemistry says:
"Since the year 1904, however, there
has been q notable increase in the num-
Der Of cases reported, as well as in the
number of fatalities. This can ade-
quately be explained by The fact that
during recent years the control OF
scetanilid as a remedial agent has
passed rapidly from the hands Of the
medical profession to those OF the
laity, owing largely to the advertising
efforts Of the manufactures o. pro-
plietary medicines, and the increase IN
the number Of cases reported and IN
the number OF fatalities H. undoubtedly
mainly due 20 the i'll advised and pro-
miscuous use Of acetSniiid preparations
by the laity for the relief OF headache
and other minor Ills
400 Physicians Reported.
Four hundred physicians reported TO
the Bureau Of Chemistry. in response
to inquiries sent out by DR.. Harvey W..
Wiley. the pure food and drug expert,
that they attended 742 cases of acctani-
lid poisoning, of which l6 resulted IN
death and 112 we're addicts of the drug.
This last. expressed forcibly, would be
that 400 physicians knew of 10 acetan-
lid dope fiends."
Assuming that the 400 physicians
who made these reports were typical
of their medical profession. which has
an estimated number of 5000 in the
United States. the physicians in this
country know of 241,S75 cases of ace
tanilid poisoning. On the same as
sumption the number Of deaths, poison
ings that did not result in death and
cases of habitual users of acetanlhd
would be as follows:
Poisonings. 1871 $50.
Deaths, 5000.
Habtual users ("dope fiends"), 4O,-
COO
The reports in the Bureau of Chem
istry show that in more than 80 per
cent of the cases of acetanilid poison
ing reported in one year the poison
was taken in the form of proprietary
headache POWDER
Acetanilid is heart depressant;
acetanilid is a dangerous poison; ace
tanilid is a habit-forming drug. IL
should never be taken except by the
advice of a physician, whether 1t comes
IN Bromo-Seltzer. in Orangelne, Shac
or any other proprietary medicine.
Acetanilid, acetphenetidin and anti
pyTin, when contained in 2 headache
powder or in any other patent or pro
prietary medicine. must be stated. ac-
Cording TO law Most headache cures
contain as high as 70 per cent Of ace
tanilid. Any other coal tar derivative,
just as bad as any of these heart de
Trcssants If not worse. may be used IN
o nostrum and no mention of its pres
ence need be made on the label This
is fraud upon the public, and the law
should make il the duty Of the manu-
facturers Of headache powders, as well
as the manufacturers of ell patent
medicines, to print IN plain English on
the labels the names of every drug or
other ingredient in the nostrum ana its
exact amount
The opinion of medical men, based
on experience, is that while such dead
~ drugs as acetanilid and other coal
tar derivatives are permitted to be SOLD
without a physicians prescription the
law should, in fairness to the people,
compel each package. bottle or other
container in which these drugs are
sold 20 be labelled with a skull and
cross-bones and marked "Poison!' and
the deadly heart-depressing quality of
J