Arthur Hailey - Strong Medicine

"Most of my senior people call me Eli. I'd be glad if you would do that.”

She smiled, "And I'm Celia.”

"Oh yes, I know. I also know you've been important to me, Celia.”

He raised a frail hand and motioned to a table across the room.”There's a Life magazine over there, some papers with it. Would you pass them to me?" She found the magazine and papers and brought them. With effort, Eli Camperdown began leafing through the issue of Life until he found what he was seeking. "Perhaps you've seen this.”

"The article about Thalidomide, with the photos of deformed babies? Yes, I have.”

He touched the other papers.”These are more reports and photographs; sonic haven't reached the public yet. I've been following the case closely. It's awful, isn't it?" "Yes, it it.”

They were silent, then he said, "Celia, you know I'm dying?" She answered gently, "Yes, I know.”

"I made the damn doctors tell me. I've a week or two, at best; perhaps only days. It's why I had them bring me home. To finish here.”

As she started to speak, he stopped her with a gesture.”No, hear me out.”

He paused, resting. Clearly the effort made so far had tired him. Then he went on. "This is selfish, Celia. None of it will do those poor, innocent children any good.”

His fingers touched the photos in the magazine.”But I'm glad I'm dying without that on my conscience, and the reason I don't have it there is you.”

She protested, "Eli, I believe I know what you're thinking, but when I suggested...”

He continued as if not hearing her.”When we at Felding-Roth had that drug, we planned to push it hard. We believed it would be big. We were going to test it widely, then pressure the FDA to pass it. Maybe it would have passed. Our timing would have been different; there could have been another examiner. There's not always logic to these things.”

He paused again, mustering his strength and thoughts.”You persuaded us to do the tests on old people; because of that, no one under sixty took it. It didn't work. We dropped it. Afterward I know there was criticism of you ... But if it had happened... the way we intended in the beginning... then I'd have been responsible...”

Again his fingers found the photos in the magazine.”I'd have died with that terrible thing upon me. As it is...”

Celia's eyes were misty. She took his hand and told him, "Eli, be at peace.”

He nodded and his lips moved. She leaned closer to hear what he was saying.”Celia, I believe there is something you have: a gift, an instinct, for judging what is right... Big changes are coming in our business, changes I won't see... Some in our company believe you are going far. That's good... So I'll give you some advice, my last advice... Use your gift, Celia. Trust your good instincts. When you have power, be strong to do what you believe... Don't let lesser people dissuade you - . .”

His voice drifted off. A spasm of pain contorted his face. Celia turned, aware of movement behind her. The young nurse had come into the room quietly, She had a syringe on a tray which she put down beside the bed. Her movements were efficient and quick. Leaning over her patient she asked, "Is it pain again, Mr. Camperdown?" As he nodded feebly, she rolled back the sleeve of his pajamas and injected the syringe's contents into his arm. Almost at once his facial tension eased, his eyes closed. "He'll drift now, Mrs. Jordan," the nurse said.”I'm afraid there isn't much point in your staying.”

Again she regarded Celia curiously.”Did you finish your talk? It seemed important to him.”

Celia closed the Life magazine and put it, with the papers, back where she had found it. "Yes," she said.”Yes, I think so.”

Somehow-though not from Celia, who kept her own counsel-a report of her encounter with Eli Camperdown filtered through the company. As a result she found herself regarded with a mixture of curiosity, respect, and occasionally awe. No one, including Celia, had any illusion that some exceptional insight had prompted her suggestion five years earlier about Felding-Roth's testing of Thalidomide, testing that turned out to be unsuccessful. But the fact was, the route the company took had saved it from what could have been disaster, and Celia's contribution to that route was cause enough for gratitude. Only one person in the company's top echelon failed to acknowledge Celia's role. The director of research, although he was one of those who had originally urged wide testing of Thalidomide-including giving it to obstetricians, which Celia specifically opposed --- chose to keep quiet about that portion of his involvement with the drug. Instead he reminded others that his had been the decision to turn it down when it failed during testing on old people. His statement was true, though incomplete. There was, however, little time for prolonged discussion. The death of Eli Camperdown occurred two weeks after Celia visited him. In newspapers the following day, November 8, 1962, the Camperdown obituaries were respectfully long, though even longer were those for Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, who also had died the day before. As Celia said to Andrew, "It seems as if two pieces of history ended together-one that was big history, the other smaller, but which I was part of.”

The death of the Felding-Roth president resulted in changes within the company, as a new president was named by the board of directors, and others moved up the promotion ladder. Among those affected were Sam Hawthorne, who became a vice president and national sales manager, while Teddy Upshaw, to his great joy, was appointed sales manager of over-the-counter products, marketed by the company's Bray & Commonwealth division.”A smashing chance with O-T-C to do some really drag-'em-in, knock-'em-down selling" was how Teddy described his impending move excitedly to Celia and told her, "I've recommended that you get my job, though I have to tell you there are still some around here who don't like the idea of a woman being director of anything.”

He added, "To be honest, I used to feel that way myself, but you changed my mind.”

Another eight weeks passed during which Celia functioned as head of sales training in everything except title. Day by day her frustration at the unfairness increased. Then, on a morning in early January, Sam Hawthorne walked into her office unannounced and beaming.”By God, we did it!" he declared.”I had to plunge my sword into the entrails of a few male diehards, and blood has flowed, but word has now come down. You are director of this bailiwick and, what is more important, Celia, you are officially on the company's fast track.”

Being on the fast track at Felding-Roth meant much the same as it did at other companies. You had been selected as a candidate for senior management and would be given better than normal opportunities to learn the business and to prove yourself Of course, not everyone on the fast track made it to the finish line. There were others on the track. Competition was keen. Also, a name could be removed at any time. Celia realized all this. She also knew that, as a woman, she had overcome an extra hurdle of prejudice which men didn't have to. The need for double achievement made her keener still. Which is why it seemed unfortunate that the 1960s were already proving a dry, non-innovative period for the prescription drug business. "It's happened before," Sam Hawthorne said when Celia raised the subject. "Look, we've just gone through twenty years of miracle drugs-antibiotics, new heart medicines, the Pill, tranquilizers, all the rest. Now we're in a flat spell before the next big scientific breakthrough.”

"How long a flat spell?" Sam rubbed his bald head thoughtfully.”Who knows? Could be two years, could be ten. Meanwhile, our Lotromycin is selling well and we're developing improved versions of existing drugs.”