Castor Oil and Opium
The Pharmacopoeia of Childhood
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1017/S1321816600006425Keywords:
Mary Anne Fogg, child mortality, castor oil, opium, nineteenth century pharmacopoeiaAbstract
In January 1878, Mary Anne Fogg's evidence at the inquest of the death of her infant daughter, Louisa, was recorded as follows:
My name is Mary Anne Fogg. I am the mother of the deceased infant. The deceased seemed sickly for the last two days. Yesterday afternoon she got worse and took fits. I gave her two doses of castor oil at an interval of four hours. I also gave her two warm baths one in the afternoon and one in the evening … I thought she was getting better. This morning between two and three I laid her down gently beside me and fell asleep. I was completely worn out for want of sleep. Yesterday evening I gave the deceased a teaspoonful of honey. When I awoke I found the child was dead beside me.
References
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