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Abstract
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My attention was first called to the baneful effects and the enor mous consumption of this nostrum, by an article in the November (1869) number of the California Medical Gazette, by Dr. Murray, U.S.A. I)r. Murray had been called to see a child aged six months, apparently in a dying condition from the effects of some narcotic poison. He found that this soothing syrup was the only medicine which had been administered, and of it the child had taken two teaspoonfuls within ten hours. There was remaining in the vial from which the two teaspoonfuls had been taken, ten drachms, which yielded, on analysis by a skillful chemist, nearly one grain of morphia and other opium alkaloids to the ounce of syrup. " The specimen of Soothing Syrup analyzed was made by Curtis & Per kins, of New York, who are the only manufacturers."
On the 7th of February, Mrs. W. came into my office with a child five months old in her arms, which, she said, was very sick; that it slept constantly, and would not nurse or move for several days. '1 he child was breathing heavily, and its pupils were closely contracted. I asked if the child had been taking opium ; she replied that it had taken nothing but soothing syrup. She said that on the 5th, two days before, the child was restless and its bowels costive, and that a neighbor had advised her to give it a teaspoonful of soothing syrup, saying it was excellent to regulate the bowels. (She had previously given the syrup in small doses.) She administered the syrup twice during the day, a teaspoonful each time; the child slept heavily all night, and would not nurse when roused. Not suspecting that the syrup had anything to do with its sleeping, she gave on the 6th, at different times, three teaspoonfuls more. The child refused to nurse when roused. On the 7th she gave it another teaspoonful, before bringing it to my office. I told her that the child was poisoned by morphia, of which soothing syrup contained a large quantity. The mother was surprised and alarmed, having had no idea that there was morphia in soothing syrup.
I ordered brandy and coffee, the bowels to be kept open by injec tions, and the child to be kept awake as much as possible. The child recovered, but was not able to nurse until the 10th. This is but one of the many instances of poison by this nostrum.
Dr. R. S. Maxwell, my partner, was called to see a child five weeks old, to whom a half a teaspoonful of soothing syrup had been given a few hours previous. The child was already past all help, and died in a few hours. No other medicine had been given.
In my own case, the child five months old had taken two tea spoonfuls on the 5th, three on the 6th, and one on the 7th, making six teaspoonfuls from ten o'clock on the 5th until eight a. m. on the 7th; consequently it got over half a grain of morphia in the space of forty-six hours. As susceptible as children are to'the influence of opium, it seems almost impossible that the child could have lived. In fact, we know that it could not have lived, had not the tolerance of the poison been induced by previous doses in lesser quantities...
Language: en |