No explanation other than chance

As a child I wondered why no women were poisoned, other than sheer dumb luck. When I recently started more intense research, I discovered conflicting accounts.

The Friday, Feb. 6, 1925 issue of the Canton Daily News stated:

    The fact that Dr. Gertrude F. Jones, medical advisor for girls, does not prescribe quinine and aspirin to her patients who suffer with colds, was said to account for the fact no girls were among the poison victims.

However, the Ohio State Lantern had this on the very same day:

    No explanation other than chance can be advanced for no co-eds being among those poisoned. 

    Student health service, under direction of Dr. H. Shindle Wingert, treats as many women as men in proportion to their enrollment in the University. Last month 300 women and 1900 men visited the health bureau. Dr. Gertrude F. Jones of the department of physical education for women does not maintain a separate health service for co-eds. Miss Jones does not treat cases, but merely advises.

G.F. Jones*

Hmm. I'll probably never know the answer, but I then became curious about Dr. Jones. It wasn't easy being a female doctor in those days. Unfortunately, Dr. Jones seems particularly elusive. I found a tiny mention in The Ohio State University Monthly for July 1926:

That Dr. Gertrude F. Jones, Medical Advisor, Department of Physical Education for Women, be granted leave of absence for the Autumn, Winter and Spring Quarters, 1926-27, without salary. 

Eleven months later she was noted in the Wednesday, June 8, 1927 issue of The Lantern:

Resignation of Dr. Jones Handed in to Trustees

    Dr. Gertrude F. Jones of the department of women's physical education has given her resignation to the Board of Trustees and it will be acted upon at their meeting June 13. Dr. Jones has been the medical adviser of the department since 1923. She is a graduate of Leland Stanford University. She has been practicing in New York City since her year's leave of absence granted last fall.

(I was grimly amused to see she graduated from Stanford. You might recall that Leland Stanford and his wife Jane Stanford co-founded Stanford University in 1885, but she was murdered by strychnine in 1905 in Oahu.)

After that I lose the trail. She possibly returned to Stanford where a Dr. Gertrude F. Jones taught obstetrics, but I cannot be sure at this time it's the same woman.

*I am not positive this is the same G.F. Jones (or Gertrude F. Jones) or not in the 1919 Stanford Dart.

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Secundum artem

OSU College of Pharmacy

I was interested in this torn newspaper clipping* that was saved by someone in the family. I do not know which newspaper it came from, but I suspect the Lantern due to the font, capital "L", and content. I shall update this if I ever discover it. (Letters appearing in the parenthesis are my guesses to missing letters.)

THE SYST(EM IS W)RONG

To the Editor of The L(antern?)

    Sir: Being an (Ohio) State pharmacy graduate, I (am) deeply interested in the prese(nt sit)uation. I feel a great deal of sy(mpa)thy for Dean Dye, upon whose (shoul)ders the burden of this investigation rests. I know of him as (a) man great for accuracy, system and detail.

    Accidental or otherwise, as the case may be, the practice of any druggist reading a prescription for two drugs written as R. and W. means nothing. A prescription coming from a doctor should be written in medical terms so that any registered pharmacist could fill it. I do not know whether drugs are furnished free to students or not; if not, a prescription should be given written in medical terms so as to be filled by any registered pharmacist as the law requires; if not, the method of prescribing is wrong.

    As stated above, R. and W. meant nothing to the druggist, as aspirin is a white powder not red (the color red is artificial), the practice of which should be discouraged by doctor and druggist. Had this prescription been filled by a regular registered pharmacist, as the state law requires, it would be an easy matter to trace the mistake if such was the case.

    A Loyal Ohio State Pharmacist

    Mt. Vernon, Ohio.

*Please always identify newspaper clippings with the name and date.

** According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the definition for "Secundum artem" is "according to the practice: in accordance with the standard procedure of a profession or trade." 

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Reds and whites

The favorite common cold medicine at Ohio State University was the inexpensive and popular R&Ws: three Red capsules containing five grains aspirin and three White capsules containing two grains of quinine. Patients were instructed to alternate every two hours starting with the Red.

A grain is a unit of measurement of mass equal to exactly 64.79891 milligrams. It is basically based upon the mass of a single ideal seed, or grain, of a cereal.

For example, the dosage of a standard 325 mg tablet of aspirin is sometimes described as 5 grains. In that example the grain is approximated to 65 milligrams, although the grain can also be approximated to 60 milligrams, depending on the medication and manufacturer.

While authorities are in agreement that less than 1 grain may be a fatal dose for an adult, the usual fatal dose is 60–100 mg strychnine and is fatal after a period of one to two hours, although lethal doses vary depending on the individual. 

I was interested to find this description by a medical student who in 1896 described the experience of taking strychnine in a letter to The Lancet, a weekly peer-reviewed general medical journal:

"Three years ago I was reading for an examination, and feeling 'run down.' I took 10 minims of strychnia solution (B.P.) with the same quantity of dilute phosphoric acid well diluted twice a day. On the second day of taking it, towards the evening, I felt a tightness in the 'facial muscles' and a peculiar metallic taste in the mouth. There was great uneasiness and restlessness, and I felt a desire to walk about and do something rather than sit still and read. I lay on the bed and the calf muscles began to stiffen and jerk. My toes drew up under my feet, and as I moved or turned my head flashes of light kept darting across my eyes. I then knew something serious was developing, so I crawled off the bed and scrambled to a case in my room and got out (fortunately) the bromide of potassium and the chloral. I had no confidence or courage to weigh them, so I guessed the quantity-about 30 gr. [30 grains, about 2 grams] bromide of potassium and 10 gr. chloral-put them in a tumbler with some water, and drank it off. My whole body was in a cold sweat, with anginous attacks in the precordial region, and a feeling of 'going off.' I did not call for medical aid, as I thought that the symptoms were declining. I felt better, but my lower limbs were as cold as ice, and the calf muscles kept tense and were jerking. There was no opisthotonos, only a slight stiffness at the back of the neck. Half an hour later, as I could judge, I took the same quantity of bromide, potassium and chloral– and a little time after I lost consciousness and fell into a 'profound sleep,' awaking in the morning with no unpleasant symptoms, no headache, but a desire 'to be on the move' and a slight feeling of stiffness in the jaw. These worked off during the day."

In October 1852 the Scientific American quoted a letter to The Lancet that stated that camphor is an antidote to strychnine. Strychnine was prescribed in doses of the 1/16 of a grain, to be given three times a day for a man with acute rheumatism.

By mistake the druggist divided the grain into six parts (with sugar) instead of 16 powders. The first dose produced severe twitchings, and the second dose threw him into violent convulsions. The doctor was called again who at once prescribed 20 grains of camphor in six ounces of almond mixture, to be taken every two hours. The first dose completely quieted the convulsions and there was no need of a second.

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*Deceased January 31, 1925

The OSU dispensary in the early 1900s.

The last week of January 1925 was not starting well for Charley Huls. It was his second to last quarter* at The Ohio State University where he was scheduled to graduate in June with a Bachelor of Science degree in Commerce and Journalism. He was the epitome of the Big Man on Campus at OSU.

According to the 1925 Makio yearbook, Charley was a member of Phi Gamma Delta, Sphinx, Bucket and Dipper, Sigma Delta Chi, Pi Delta Epsilon, Boost Ohio, editor of the 1924 Makio yearbook (Grandpa was editor of the 1926 Makio), News Editor of the Lantern newspaper, business manager of the Phoenix, Makio board, Junior Prom committee, band, and Senior Invitation Committee.

It also states, "*Deceased January 31, 1925".

By Friday, Charley couldn't stand it anymore and went to went to the college of dentistry and had the troublesome tooth pulled. On Saturday he went to Dr. H. Shindle Wingert at the student health center for a prescription of "R&Ws" -- red and white capsules available at the student dispensary that were filled with aspirin (red) and quinine (white) -- the house cold medicine, so to speak. Students were supposed to alternate red or white capsules every few hours.

An unmailed letter Charley wrote home the day of his death was found afterwards. In it he complained to his mother, Anna Rebecca Troxel Huls, that he had been holding a light bulb against his jaw for the heat. He said the heat helped. He also mentioned his cold and his plans to take medicine before dinner because he had a date.

(Charley was allegedly engaged to Margaret Speaks, daughter of Rep. John C. Speaks of Ohio, and the future Voice of Firestone.)

According to Grandpa and newspaper accounts, Charley told Grandpa he could borrow their car if he'd drop Charley off somewhere for his date. They were heading to the car after eating their dinners when Charley collapsed. Their Phi Gamma Delta fraternity brothers carried Charley up to the room they shared where it quickly became apparent that something was seriously wrong. A doctor and the stricken man's parents were summoned.

Charley was going into horrible spasms. The fraternity brothers gathered in the hallway began to wonder if Charley had lockjaw.

Tetanus, also known as lockjaw, is a bacterial infection characterized by muscle spasms that begin in the jaw and progress throughout the body. Some spasms can break bones. About ten percent of cases prove fatal. The first tetanus vaccine was first produced in 1924, but that didn't help Charley.

Things were looking grim for Charley and Grandpa was feeling sick himself. He went into their bathroom and took out one of the "R&W" pills. Before he could take it, the doctor called for him to return.

Grandpa placed the white capsule on the marble windowsill where it sat until he returned to OSU after the funeral.

That decision saved his life.

*OSU did not switch to the semester system until 2012.

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