The Perils of Polypharmacy

The modern superstition is that for every human dissatisfaction, from that of aging skin to loneliness, there’s an equal and opposite pill or potion.

An illustration of used blister packets containing medicines, tablets, and pills. Russell Boyce/Illustration/Reuters

Commentary

The post-mortem examination of actor Matthew Perry shows that he died principally of ketamine poisoning, although the condition of his body suggested that he hadn’t otherwise lived an altogether healthy life.