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Show PROPRIETARY REMEDIES VS.' PHYSICIANSPRESCRIPTIONS Statistic Show, of the Deaths from Misuse of Drugs In Two Years, Only Three Per Cent. Were Due to Patent Medicines, According to Figure Based on Medical Certificates. The press committee of tho Proprietary Proprie-tary Association ot America will pre sent at the next meeting at that body n report showing tho number of accidental acci-dental deaths caused by patent medicines medi-cines lu the two years ending Juno 30, 1007, na compared with deaths from other causes. Almost Immediately nftcr the beginning begin-ning of the Intest crusade ngalnst proprletnry medicines this committee wns Instructed to collect dntn. This work wna done through the clipping burenus, which furnished nccounts of all deaths, exclusive of suicide, duo to tho misuse of medicines, drugs or poisons. Tho result showed that only threo per cent, could be traced directly di-rectly to the products rando by tho members of tho association. Tlio grenlest care Is said to have been exercised in tabulating tho figures fig-ures received. Whenever the cause of dentil waa doubtful, special Investigation Inves-tigation wns made, no matter where tho cubo might have occurred. Thu work ot nsBortlng and preparing the record wns .done In Chicago, nnd tho original clippings nnd correspondence nro In tho possession of Ervlu F. Kemp, 184 I,n Sallo street, that city, tho nssoclatlon'tf publicity ngent. Tho report says, In part: "A largo number of nccldents, resulting re-sulting fntally or otherwise, were caused by the carelessness of persons who left drugs, medicines or poisons within tho rench of children. A large number, also, wore caused by persons going to mcdlclno cnblncts In thodnrk nnd tnklng down the wrong bottlo. In no case reported was any medicine, 'patent' or otherwise, held responsible for Injury or death except when left within tho rench nf children or taken or administered In gross overdose." Tho committee Bays thnt It Ib unlikely un-likely thnt nny enses of death from tho uso of patent nrdlclno escaped the newspapers, but that It Is prob-nblo prob-nblo that death from tho cnusea tabulated tabu-lated did occur without receiving pub-llclty. pub-llclty. Physicians, of course, report tho causes of death. Tho committee sajB thnt they would bo the InBt to suppress tho cnuso ir due to tho uso of medicine not requlnrly prescribed. A recnpltulntlon of the committee's findings Bhow 4,293 cases of poisoning, of which 1,703 were fatal. Tho great-est great-est number or cases, 1,636, with 803 deaths, Is attributed to medicines other than proprletnry remedies. There nro on tho list 00 cases of sick-ness sick-ness nnd 43 deaths duo to patent medicines. medi-cines. Analyzing Its statistics, tho commit-tee commit-tee finds 201 case of sickness, with 143 deaths, duo to strychnine tablets, which nro nmong physlclnns' fnvorito remedies and nre often left within tho rench. of children. Under tho bend of miscellaneous prescriptions aro grouped 41 cases wheie. the report says, It bus been Impossible Im-possible after diligent inquiry to ns-certain ns-certain tho nniiio or the character or the drug or medicine which caused In-Jury In-Jury or death, beyond tho fact that tho medicine or drug wns prescribed by n physician. Of ,thcso cases 18 wcro fatal. Tho committee snys: "Under the bend of 'All Patent Medicines' nre grouped all those rem-edles rem-edles which nro recognized ns patent medicines nnd which nro advertised direct to the public for Internal use. Competent authorities sny thnt nt lenst one-haU or tho medicines taken In the United States aro or tho kind known as 'patent modlclne,' and yet In two years among 80,600,000 people there havo been but ninety cases (forty-three fntal) thnt bnve been re-ported re-ported In tho newspapers from the use or misuse of theso remodles." Not In n single fully substantiated case Is It ever ehniged thut any patent pat-ent medicine in recommended doses wns Injurious. In this connection It should bo undeistood that lu making death rerllflcutes mid lu reporting enses of Injuiy to the newspapers liom which thesu eases Vere secured, n physician hud the final word, ami lu this connection Is theru any piob-ability piob-ability that thu doctor will hide his own cnrelessness or neglect or thnt or a fellow practitioner whose support he may want at some time, and Is theru even a possibility thnt he might hide nny responsibility thnt could bn thrown nt n patent medicine? Ask yourself these questions. Then when you have found the answer, consider thnt during nil this most thorough nnd enrerm investigation covering u period of two years, in not n Blngle established enso wna It shown thnt patent medicine In lecommonded doses wns Injurious. The most remnrknblo case reported was thnt of an Itnllnn laborer In Now York who suffered from pains In tho chest. A physician ordered a porout planter which the patient nte, with fntal icsults. |
