From the archives comes this prescription of Sodium Amytal, a barbiturate derivative that was first synthesized in Germany in 1923. The prescription written by Dr. John W. Obrist, father of Dr. George Edwin Obrist who would be murdered 16 years later, was written on June 5, 1931, to William Severs.
The formulary of Natrium (German for Sodium) Amytal capsules, 3 grains in the archaic apothecary form or 195 milligrams as we measure today. Mr. Severs was given ten of these pills with the instructions to take one capsule at bedtime if nervous.
We don’t know if this prescription was actually filled by Mr. Severs by Falter’s on 7th in Chillicothe Streets in Portsmouth, Ohio, but we do know that such a prescription was recommended to him.
