Read Online Strong Medicine by Arthur Hailey - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Arthur Hailey
Tags: Fiction, General, Fiction - General, Medical, Thrillers, Fiction / Thrillers, General & Literary Fiction, drugs
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three-day proceedings.
"I'm expecting to be there," Celia said. "I hope you're not going to tell
me it's for men only."
"Not only is it not men only, but the top brass want you to be one of the
speakers."
"I'll do it," Celia said.
Sam observed dryly, "I was sure of that. Now, about the subject. I've
talked to Eli Camperdown and what he and others would like is for you -to
describe some of your selling experiences-from a feminine point of view.
There's a suggested title: 'A Woman Looks at Pharmaceutical Detailing.'"
"I can't see it on a movie marquee," Celia said, "but it'll do,"
"You should keep your talk light, possibly humorous," Sam continued.
"Nothing heavy or serious. Nothing controversial. And ten to fifteen
minutes should be enough."
Celia said thoughtfully, ". - - I see."
"If you like, you can submit a draft. Then I'll go over it and make
suggestions."
"I'll remember that offer," said Celia, who already had ideas about her
speech and had no intention of submitting anything.
"Sales in your territory have been excellent," Sam complimented her.
"Keep it up!"
"I intend to," she acknowledged, "though some new products would help,
By the way, what happened to the one Mr. Camperdown talked about a year
ago-Thalidomide?"
"We dropped it. Gave it back to Chemie-Griinenthal. Said thanks but no
thanks."
56
"Why?"
"According to our research people," Sam explained, "it wasn't a good
drug. They tried it out in those old people's homes, as you arranged. As
a sleep aid it didn't seem to work."
"And that's the end?"
"So far as Felding-Roth is concerned. I just heard, though, that the
Merrell Company has taken Thalidomide on. They're calling it Kevadon and
they plan a big launching here and in Canada." He added, "With all the
success Thalidomide has had in Europe, that's not surprising."
"You sound unhappy," Celia said. "Do you think our company made a
mistake?"
Sam shrugged. "Maybe. But we can only sell what our research department
approves, and this is one they didn't." He hesitated, then said, "I may
as well tell you, Celia, there are a few people around here who are
criticizing you because our testing of Thalidomide was limited to old
people and wasn't more widespread -as Vincent Lord originally wanted."
"Are you one of the critics?"
"No. At the time, if you remember, I agreed with you."
"I do remember." Celia considered, then she asked, "Is the other
criticism important?"
"To you?" Sam shook his head. "I don't think so."
At home, during the evenings and weekends which followed, Celia worked
on her sales meeting speech. In the quiet, comfortable study-den she and
Andrew enjoyed sharing, she surrounded herself with papers and notes.
Watching her one Sunday, Andrew observed, "You're cooking up something,
aren't you?"
"Yes," she admitted, "I am."
"Will you tell me?"
"I'll tell you later," Celia said. "If I tell you now, you'll try to talk
me out of it."
Andrew smiled and was wise enough to leave it there.
57
7
"I know that most of you are married," Celia said, looking out over the
sea of male faces that confronted her, "so you know how it is with us
women. We're often vague, we get mixed up, and sometimes forget things
altogether."
"Not you, sharp girl," someone near the front said softly, and Celia
smiled swiftly, but continued.
"One of the things I've forgotten is how long I'm supposed to speak
today. I've a vague notion of someone mentioning ten to fifteen minutes,
but that couldn't possibly be right, could it? After all, what woman
could make herself intimately known to five hundred men in that short
time?"
There was laughter and, from the back of the convention hall, a broad
Midwestern voice. "You can have as much of my time as you want, baby!"
This was followed by more laughter, wolf whistles, and cries of, "Same
here!", "Take all you need, kiddo!"
Leaning closer to the microphone in front of her on the speakers'
platform, Celia responded, "Thank
"I'm expecting to be there," Celia said. "I hope you're not going to tell
me it's for men only."
"Not only is it not men only, but the top brass want you to be one of the
speakers."
"I'll do it," Celia said.
Sam observed dryly, "I was sure of that. Now, about the subject. I've
talked to Eli Camperdown and what he and others would like is for you -to
describe some of your selling experiences-from a feminine point of view.
There's a suggested title: 'A Woman Looks at Pharmaceutical Detailing.'"
"I can't see it on a movie marquee," Celia said, "but it'll do,"
"You should keep your talk light, possibly humorous," Sam continued.
"Nothing heavy or serious. Nothing controversial. And ten to fifteen
minutes should be enough."
Celia said thoughtfully, ". - - I see."
"If you like, you can submit a draft. Then I'll go over it and make
suggestions."
"I'll remember that offer," said Celia, who already had ideas about her
speech and had no intention of submitting anything.
"Sales in your territory have been excellent," Sam complimented her.
"Keep it up!"
"I intend to," she acknowledged, "though some new products would help,
By the way, what happened to the one Mr. Camperdown talked about a year
ago-Thalidomide?"
"We dropped it. Gave it back to Chemie-Griinenthal. Said thanks but no
thanks."
56
"Why?"
"According to our research people," Sam explained, "it wasn't a good
drug. They tried it out in those old people's homes, as you arranged. As
a sleep aid it didn't seem to work."
"And that's the end?"
"So far as Felding-Roth is concerned. I just heard, though, that the
Merrell Company has taken Thalidomide on. They're calling it Kevadon and
they plan a big launching here and in Canada." He added, "With all the
success Thalidomide has had in Europe, that's not surprising."
"You sound unhappy," Celia said. "Do you think our company made a
mistake?"
Sam shrugged. "Maybe. But we can only sell what our research department
approves, and this is one they didn't." He hesitated, then said, "I may
as well tell you, Celia, there are a few people around here who are
criticizing you because our testing of Thalidomide was limited to old
people and wasn't more widespread -as Vincent Lord originally wanted."
"Are you one of the critics?"
"No. At the time, if you remember, I agreed with you."
"I do remember." Celia considered, then she asked, "Is the other
criticism important?"
"To you?" Sam shook his head. "I don't think so."
At home, during the evenings and weekends which followed, Celia worked
on her sales meeting speech. In the quiet, comfortable study-den she and
Andrew enjoyed sharing, she surrounded herself with papers and notes.
Watching her one Sunday, Andrew observed, "You're cooking up something,
aren't you?"
"Yes," she admitted, "I am."
"Will you tell me?"
"I'll tell you later," Celia said. "If I tell you now, you'll try to talk
me out of it."
Andrew smiled and was wise enough to leave it there.
57
7
"I know that most of you are married," Celia said, looking out over the
sea of male faces that confronted her, "so you know how it is with us
women. We're often vague, we get mixed up, and sometimes forget things
altogether."
"Not you, sharp girl," someone near the front said softly, and Celia
smiled swiftly, but continued.
"One of the things I've forgotten is how long I'm supposed to speak
today. I've a vague notion of someone mentioning ten to fifteen minutes,
but that couldn't possibly be right, could it? After all, what woman
could make herself intimately known to five hundred men in that short
time?"
There was laughter and, from the back of the convention hall, a broad
Midwestern voice. "You can have as much of my time as you want, baby!"
This was followed by more laughter, wolf whistles, and cries of, "Same
here!", "Take all you need, kiddo!"
Leaning closer to the microphone in front of her on the speakers'
platform, Celia responded, "Thank