Am.  Jour.  Pharm. ) 
Aug.,  1878.  J 
Editorial. 
407 
and  that  recovery  would  be  speedy.  I  visited  Mr.  Eaton's  drug  store  and  learned 
from  the  cleric  that  a  solution  of  2  gr.  to  a  drachm,  instead  of  ounce  had  been 
prepared. 
Within  a  week  I  visited  Mr.  Eno  but  twice.  At  the  second  visit  the  effect  of  the 
atropia  had  passed  away.  There  was  not  the  slightest  dilation  of  the  pupil,  and 
there  were  no  symptoms  properly  referable  to  the  overdose  he  had  taken.  I  learned 
that  Mr.  Eaton  had  prepared  a  new  solution  of  the  strength  first  ordered,  and  that 
a  dose  had  been  taken,  with  somewhat  unpleasant  effects.  The  night  sweats  still 
persisting,  I  ordered  pills  of  oxide  of  zinc,  which  were  effectual  During  the 
months  of  December  and  January  I  made  a  very  few  visits,  and  I  judged  that  the 
patient  was  making  fair  progress — not  in  recovery  from  atropia,  for  there  was  noth- 
ing which  indicated  that  he  had  taken  this  drug — but  in  his  bronchial  difficulty, 
which  had  threatened  to  end — and  which  may  yet  end — in  consumption. 
Somewhere  near  the  close  of  January  I  received  notice  that  the  patient  had  con- 
cluded to  call  in  Dr.  Wnedon,  and  I  learned  about  the  same  time  that  negotiations 
for  a  settlement  with  Eaton  had  failed.  There  was  nothing  that  indicated  to  me  the 
presence  of  chronic  or  other  inflammation  of  the  stomach  Digestion  was  impaired, 
and  so  it  was  before  the  atropia  had  been  taken.  Vomiting  may  have  been  a  symp- 
tom, but  it  usually  accompanies  pulmonary  troubles,  which  are  attended  with  a 
severe  cough  and  hectic  fever.  Weakness  was  present,  and  the  patient  was  ordered 
to  keep  quiet;  not  because  of  atropia,  but  because  the  consuming  disease  was  still 
progressing  and  because  exercise  was  thought  to  be  hurtful. 
I  have  no  doubt  that  Mr.  Eno  took  the  half  dose,  equal  to  one-sixteenth  of  a 
grain,  as  stated  by  Mrs.  Eno  and  commented  on  by  Mr.  Eno. 
I  have  no  doubt  that  this  dose  produced  the  symptoms  described  by  Miss  Eno,  a 
lady  of  unimpeachable  veracity. 
I  have  no  doubt  that  the  effects  of  this  considerably  large  dose  rapidly  subsided, 
and  that  within  a  week  the  patient  was  as  if  he  had  not  taken  atropia  at  all. 
I  have  no  doubt  that  but  for  the  meddlesome  interference  of  third  parties,  who 
hoped  to  make  money  out  of  the  transaction,  Mr.  Eno  would  not  have  dreamed  of 
instituting  a  suit. 
How  far  a  vivid  imagination  stimulated  to  unusual  activity  by  the  hope  of  gain, 
dexterously  held  out  by  the  tempter,  influenced  the  judgment  and  instigated  the 
testimony  of  Mr.  Eno,  I  leave  others  to  judge.  That  a  monstrous  injustice  has 
been  perpetrated — that  a  cruel  penalty  has  been  inflicted  on  a  careful  and  estimable 
druggist — that  every  physician  and  pharmacist  is  at  the  mercy  of  tramps  and  black- 
mailers, will,  I  trust,  be  evident  before  the  close  of  this  discussion.  I  propose  to 
give  a  mere  outline  of  points  to  be  discussed,  leaving  to  abler  colleagues  the  filling 
in  and  elaborations. 
Written  Prescriptions. — Old  signs  and  their  ambiguity.  The  symbols  for  drachm 
and  ounce  resemble  each  other  closely,  and  are  not  unfrequently  confounded.  For 
several  years  I  have  not  used  these  symbols.  I  have  written  oz.  for  ounce  and 
drachm  in  full.  I  have  ceased  to  employ  the  Roman  numerals,  such  as  VIII  for 
eight  and  LXVIII  for  sixty-eight.  I  have  dropped  the  larger  O  as  an  abbreviation 
signifying  pint,  and  have  omitted  the  unnecessary  symbol  meaning  scruple.  I  have 
tried  to  use  words  and  abbreviations  which  were  free  from  ambiguity,  and  I  have 
reason  to  k  tow  that  my  practice  has  received  the  endorsement  of  not  a  few  eminent 
and  progressive  members  of  the  profession.  And  it  is  a  source  of  no  small  mortifi- 
cation to  me  that  a  prescription  of  mine  could  have  been  misread  and  construed  in 
a  manner  different  from  my  intentions.  Had  I  used  the  antiquated  and  obsolescent 
symbols  instead  of  oz.  and  drach.,  I  could  not  have  wondered  at  the  mistake  which 
was  made.  I  shall  not  return  to  the  use  of  the  awkward  and  delusive  symbols.  I 
may  use  the  word  uncia  for  ounce,  or  I  may  discard  Latin  entirely  and  employ  the 
•metric  system.  Latin  is  the  universal  language.  Prescriptions  written  in  it  can  be 
put  up,  as  I  have  reason  to  know,  anywhere  in  Europe.    The  metric  system  is  not 
