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Bayer sold a 'safe' sleeping pill that killed thousands. πŸ’Š
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Dark HistoryAug 22, 2026

Bayer sold a 'safe' sleeping pill that killed thousands. πŸ’Š

Bayer sold a 'safe' sleeping pill that killed thousands. πŸ’Š . . . In 1904, Bayer launched Veronal, a barbiturate marketed to housewives for insomnia and 'nerves.' The therapeutic dose was just 10x below the fatal one, and it became notorious for overdoses and suicides. Evelyn Waugh nearly died on it. Doctors kept prescribing it until the 1950s.

Source
https://handwiki.org/wiki/Chemistry:Barbital
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