CHLORODYNE. THE DANGERS OF ITS USE. Cases of Poisoning.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 237, 14 January 1888, Page 3

CHLORODYNE. THE DANGERS OF ITS USE. Cases of Poisoning.

The most dangerous of the patent medicines are naturally those which contain poison. Taken under the advice of a qualified medical practitioner, they may very possibly prove to be useful remedies, and indeed often are. But the indiscriminate sale to the public of nostrums of this description, although no doubt it produces a considerable revenue, cannot fail to be attended with the most serious consequences. Most of us are agreed that opium is a valuable remedy, but even the most rabid free trader would scarcely desire to see this drug sold indiscriminately to ignorant persons or to persons actuated by criminal motives. Laudanum is difficult to obtain, simply because its Sale is regulated by the Poisons Act ; but there is no euch difficulty with regard to chlorodyne, df which there are at least three well-known j rival varieties. Let us look at the composij tion of this nostrum :— Six drachms of chloroform, half a drachm of tincture of capsicum, three minims of oil of peppermint, eight grains of morphia (sixty-four doses), twelve'dropa double strength prussic acid, one drachm of tincture of Indian hemp {Bhang, or Indian hemp, is a poison used throughout the East to produce insensibility ; it is the Benj of the " Arabian Nights), one drachm of treacle.' ' The maximum dose is half a drachm, and a 4s 6d bottle would kill at least eight people ; but chlorodyne is a patent medicine, and may be sold with impunity in the largest quantities. As might be naturally supposed, the results of the indiscriminate sale of such a dangerous compound are frequently deplorable. At Weymouth in December, 1884, a young lady, who had been previously confined in an asylum, threatened •• to do something terrible." On the fourth of that month she was missed and she was not found until two days later, when she was discovered in a dying condition in an empty room in her father "s house. In a drawer were found three empty bottles that had contained a preparation of chlorodyne, two large and one small. Treatment waa unavailing, and she soon afterwards died. At -the inqueat one chemist's assistant deposed that he had sold her a small bottle of chlorodyne, and on the 1.6 th a large or 4s 6d bottle (the size containing enough poison to kill eight persons). On the 20th another chemist's assistant supplied a second large bottle, and two days later the unfortunate lady obtained from a third chemist a similar quantity. The chemists in question all stateel that they had sold theae large quantities of chloz;odyne over the counter I without any inquiry ; but one of them, on being asked if he would have supplied the young lady with half-a-dozen bottles if she had requested him to do so, hesitated, and said that is was a poisonous preparation. j Another chemi3t, however, was troubled with no such scruples, and frankly admitted | that he would have sold her any quantity she might have desired to purchase, " as it was & patent medicine." The jury in this case added a rider to their verdict, urging that " representations should be made to the proper quarter that chlorodyne and other patent medicines of such a potent nature should be placed under paragraph 2 of the Poisons Act. " Of course nothing came of their sensible suggestion, and this dangerous drug is within the reach of all who have money to pay for it. In the sanao month of the same year a lady residing at Brighton swallowed a whole bottle of chlorodyne "by mistake," and her life would no doubt have been sacrificed had not the physician who was called in promptly administered a powerful emetic. Chlorodyne has unquestionably now become the moat favourite narcotic. " Just a few drops of chlorodyne " will, no doubt, when taken for the first time, produce tranquil sleep, relieve pain or cough, diarrhoea or colic, or bronchial affections. The worst of it is that, in the majority of cases whero people have begun to take chlorodyne and have found from it temporary relief, recourse is had again and again to the successful nostrum, and very soon the victims find that the dose has to be increased accordingly, with the result that the general health is impaired, many of the functions of the body are entirely or partially suspended, and what was once merely a bad habit becomes one of the absolute necessities of existence. A lady whose death waa recently announced began by taking small doses of chlorodyne to relieve neuralgia. As is usual in these cases, aha fell into the habit of taking the drug in large quantities, with the result that she had to be placed under restraint. For a time all went well, and the lady became gradually better, and was at last ordered abroad for change of air. But while stopping at the port of embarkation for a few hours she somehow managed to procure a bottle of chlorodyne. Witnin twenty-four hours she was found dead in her bed with the empty bottle under her pillow. That a compound such as chlorodyne can be purchased in the manner we have described constitutes a grave scandal, and calls for immediate interference on the part of the proper authorities. In France the unrestricted sale of nostrums is absolutely forbidden until the Stato analyst has pronounced them harmless. If a similar regulation were in force in this country many lives would be preserved. — From the "Saturday Review.'*