Arthur Hailey - Strong Medicine

The answer-the worst he could have given-produced from spectators in the hearing room an audible shock wave of disbelief and horror, and Donahue's tirade a moment later. Until that point, Mace had appeared-while plainly nervous-to be in control and able to account for his actions as the FDA reviewer who had overseen the Montayne new drug application. He had begun with a short statement of his own, describing the enormous amount of data submitted-125,000 pages in 307 volumes followed by details of his various queries of that data, which resulted in delay. These queries, he stated, were eventually resolved to his satisfaction. He did not refer to the report from Australia; that only came out later, in response to questions. It was during questioning, when the Australian matter was reached, that Mace became emotionally disturbed, then seemed suddenly to go to pieces. The awful admission-"I just don't know" -had followed. Despite an awareness of Mace's weak position, Celia felt some sympathy for him, believing the load of blame on Mace was disproportionate. Later she spoke of it to Childers Quentin. 6611's at times like this," the lawyer commented, "that the British system of drug approvals is shown as clearly superior to ours.”

When Celia asked why, Quentin explained. "In Britain a Committee on the Safety of Medicines advises the Minister of Health, and it's the minister who grants a new drug license. Civil servants are among those counseling the minister, Of course, but the minister has responsibility, so if anything goes wrong he, and he alone, must face Parliament and take the blame. "A minister in the British government would not do anything as cowardly as we let happen here--allow a civil servant like Mace to carry the can and go to Capitol Hill, accepting blame. If we had the same strong moral system, the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare would be up there, facing Donahue. But where is the Secretary now? Probably skulking in his office or conveniently out of town.”

There was another weakness in the United States system, Quentin believed. "One effect of what you see happening is that FDA's people become ultra-cautious, not wanting to be dragged before a congressional committee and maybe crucified. So instead of approving drugs which ought to be available, they sit on them and wait, sometimes far too long. Obviously some caution-a lot of cautionabout new drugs is needed, but too much can be bad, delaying progress in medicine, depriving doctors, hospitals and patients of cures and other aid they ought to have.”

When Mace's ordeal was finally over and a recess ordered, Celia was relieved. At the same time, because of her earlier sympathy, she got up and walked across to him. "Dr. Mace, I'm Celia Jordan of Felding-Roth. I just wanted to say...”

She stopped, confounded and dismayed. At the mention of Felding-Roth, Mace's features contorted into a look of blazing, savage hatred such as she had never seen before. Now, eyes glaring, teeth clenched, he hissed, "Stay away from me! Do you hear! Don't ever, ever, come near me again!" Before Celia could collect her thoughts and answer, Mace turned his back and walked away. Quentin, close behind, asked curiously, "What was all that about?" Shaken, she answered, "I don't know. It happened when I used the company name. He seemed to go berserk.”

"So?" The lawyer shrugged.”Dr. Mace doesn't like the manufacturer of Montayne. It's understandable.”

"No. It's something more than that. I'm sure.”

"I wouldn't worry about it.”

Yet that expression of hatred stayed with Celia, troubling and puzzling her, for the remainder of the day. Vincent Lord had stayed on in Washington for an extra day and Celia had a showdown with him about his testimony the previous afternoon. It took place in her hotel suite where she accused him bluntly of lying, and asked, "Why?" To her surprise, the research director did not dispute the accusation and said contritely, "Yes, you're right. I'm sorry. I was nervous.”

"You didn't appear to be nervous.”

"It doesn't have to show. All those questions were getting to me. I wondered what that guy, Urbach, knew.”

"What could he know?" Lord hesitated, groping for an answer.”Nothing more than we all do, I guess. Anyway, I figured that how I answered was the quickest way to end the questions and get out.”

Celia was unconvinced.”Why should you, more than anyone else, have to get out quickly? Okay, what's happening is unpleasant for everyone, including me, and we all have consciences to answer. But nothing illegal was ever done about Montayne.”

She stopped, a sudden thought striking her.”Or was it?" "No! Of course not.”

But the response was a second late and a shade too strong. Some words of Sam's, as they had once before, came back to Celia: "There's... something you don't know.” She regarded Lord quizzically.”Vince, is there anything, anything at all, about Montayne and Felding-Roth that I've not been told?" "I swear to you-nothing. What could there be?" He was lying again. She knew it. She also knew that Sam's secret, whatever it might be, had not died with him-that Lord had shared it. But at the moment, she could go no further.

The subcommittee hearings lasted four days. There were other witnesses, among them two doctors-neurologists who had examined babies damaged by Montayne. One of the doctors had been to Europe to study cases there and showed slides of children he had seen. Outwardly, there was nothing to suggest that the photographed children were other than normal. But most were lying down and, as the specialist explained, "Any but the smallest movement will always have to be made for them. Additionally, all these infants suffered serious brain damage during their embryonic stage.”

Some of the children's faces were beautiful. One-older than the others-was a two-year-old boy. Supported by an unseen hand behind him, he was looking into the camera with what seemed soulful eyes. His expression was blank. "This child," the neurologist informed his silent audience, "will never think like you or me, and almost certainly will have no awareness of what is going on around him.”

The young face reminded Celia sharply of Bruce at the same age, sixteen years ago. Bruce, who had written only a few days before from Williams College, which he was now attending.

Dear Mom and Dad: College is great! I love it here. What I like most is, they want you to think, think, think... Celia was glad the lights had been lowered for the slides, then realized she was not alone in using a handkerchief to wipe her eyes. Senator Donahue, when the doctor had finished, seemed to be having trouble with his voice. Yes, Celia thought, despite all his grandstanding and politics, he cares too.

Whatever softness there had been in Donahue had clearly vanished when, on the afternoon of the hearing's fourth and final day, Celia was recalled as a witness. Even in exchanges with his own staff, the senator seemed impatient and irritable. Before Celia was called, Quentin whispered to her, "Be careful. The great man sounds as if he ate something during lunch which disagreed with him.”

Celia was questioned by subcommittee counsel Urbach concerning other testimony as it related to her own, earlier. When queried about Vincent Lord's assertion that he would have delayed Montayne had the responsibility been his, she replied, "We have since discussed that. My own recollection differs from Dr. Lord's, but I see no point in disputing his statement, so let it stand.”

As to her visit to the headquarters of Citizens for Safer Medicine, Celia said, "There are differences in interpretation. I went to see Dr. Stavely on impulse and with friendly intentions, thinking we might learn something from each other. It did not turn out that way.”

Urbach asked, "Did you go there intending to talk about Montayne?" "Not specifically.”