Wednesday, June 20, 1917
Three physicians and a druggist from Saratoga Springs are free today after paying fines for technical violations of federal drug law, The Saratogian reports.
Drs. George H. Fish, William J. Green and John F. Humphrey, along with Frederic Menges, were indicted yesterday by a federal court. Each turned himself in voluntarily, posted $500 bail, and went before a federal judge in Syracuse. The defendants were represented by leading men of the Spa City, including Mayor Walter P. Butler.
Earlier this year, Humphrey was named as the physician who wrote narcotics prescriptions for addicts who came to Saratoga Springs from Albany and Schenectady. Federal law strictly regulates the prescription of narcotics to addicts, requiring physicians to prescribe steadily lower doses in order to wean patients off the drugs.
The first reports of the indictments provoked speculation that all three doctors were involved in illegal prescription writing. Instead, they and Menges were brought to court for inadequate paperwork. Federal law requires the physicians to write out narcotics prescriptions on special forms provided by the government, but in each case under indictment the doctors used their own stationery.
In Menges’ case, he filled an emergency prescription last September for morphine sulfate that had been called in over the telephone by Dr. G. F. Comstock of the Saratoga Cure. In the rush, Menges failed to secure a prescription in writing from Comstock, who takes the blame in a letter to the editor for failing to provide one.
Lawyers for the defendants assure reporters that the cases “involved no charge of moral turpitude” on the part of their clients.
RED CROSS CAMPAIGN
“France is at the end of the rope. Russia is hanging in the balance. Germany is still going strong.” That’s the analysis of an American Red Cross fundraiser who warns Saratogians tonight that “American may possibly be called upon to fight Germany alone.”
The U.S. declared war on Germany on April 6. France and Russia, along with Great Britain, have been fighting the Germans since the summer of 1914. The Red Cross hopes to raise $100,000,000 nationwide for medical assistance for soldiers during this week’s fundraising drive.
Saratoga Springs has been assigned a goal of $13,000 for the drive. T. R. Jordan is in charge of local fundraising efforts. Despite his pessimistic outlook on the situation in Europe, he tells an audience in the Appellate Division chambers that “there’s no doubt we’re going to raise the hundred million.”
Jordan is “anxious to see Saratoga take a proper part in the raising.” He believes the city can easily raise $30,000, including $1,000 apiece from 25 leading citizens.