Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1861-03-06

write Qulnlne lnSteau Ol sclpuus quinte,
as is the usual custom. Common salt is
lust as saline under the name of salt as
uuder that of murias sod@ or muriate oil
soda, while EPSON salts will have an eff
feet quite as salutary when sold by that
name, as when mysteriously labeled sui
phus sode or sulphate of soda. A physr
clan calls at your house, feels your pulse,
and, with an mir profundity, writes
thus:
Nit. chlor, Hydrarg' aa. 10 grs.
Jalap@ Pulv.
Patient sends to The drug store, when
he finds emit. chlor. hydrarg,' to be an
abbreviation of mite chloridum of hydrar-
girl, in other words, mild chloride of mer-
curry simply calomel, Jalap@ pulv, is
of course powdered jalap, and the entire
rigmarole is simply expressed; Ten grains
each of calomel and jalap.
If the physicians were TO abandon this
mysterious method of dispensing medi-
cines, and if apothecaries called things by
their proper names, the community would
soon become familiar with the character
Of medicines. Paregoric need not be cal
led "tinc. camph ct opii," any more than
-four need DC labeled "pulvis Hordei, and
we doubt not that the public would quite
as willingly pay the present prices charged
for medicines when called by their right
names as when covered with cabalistic in
scriptions.
We believe the dog Latin part of the
druggists business to be an intense hum.
bug, and of about the same use as the boz
tanical names conferred upon plants by
quack nurserymen. When we remember
that gcodly portion of an apprentices
time is spent simply in acquiring knowl-
edge of these mongrel Latin names for
medicines, aside from the science of
chemistry, to which alone most of them
belong, we think it will be everywh ere
conceded that the system of using them
should be abolished.
The fact is, that medical men are them~
selves often lamentably defce nj in their
knowledge of pharmacy, through this very
cause.-the difficulty of acquiring a know
ledge of technicaliteS and many a pa, |
tient has been sent to his long home in
consequence of misunderstanding on the .
part of medical men as to the character OF
the medicines they were prescribing
Make the acquaintance of first class
prescription clerk, and get him to show
you the book in which he preserves the
prescriptions he has compounded, and
you will be surprised to find how little is
generally known Contemporaries of by many
practising physicians. Nauseous oils are
mingled with imperfect solvents, which
allow large globules 10 adhere to the
mouth, vitiating the appetite ard tone of
the stomach for many hours. Insolublo
powders are often directed 10 be dissolved |
in water, and the recoiling patient finds |
himself compelled to ,ccc, from his
stomach the pasty compound. Had the
matter beeen left to the direction of the
prescription clerk, he would At least have
rendered the dose innauscous. For the
oil he would have substituted the extract |
or issipated juice Of the same plant, while
in pleasant emulsion would have con-
veyed the full effects Of the disgusting and
i'll prescribed mess Yet the clerk re-
mains mute, and dare not even make a
suggestion to the customer, no matter
how fragrant the ignorance of the physi.
clan in this respect.
But this is not all: for medical men,
like writers for newspapers, are often
found whose manuscripts are unintelligible,
and many such are often sent back to
their authors to be re written. That so
Few accidents occur from this cause, is
something that in our opinion appgoXi-
mates to the marvellous, and is in itself
the highest possible commentary upon
the general competency and efficiency of
onr friends, the druggists. For that
criminal temerity which entrusts the
preparation OF medicines 10 hands insult
fciently experienced, we have nothing
but condemnation, but we cannot do 9TH
erwise than lelieve that ve'y few physi-
clans possess the same knowledge Of The
character and variety of forms ia which
the various drugs exist, as youth of in
'clligence who has enjoyed one busy
Years experience behind well patroLiz-
cd and well managed prescription coun.
ter.
To conclude, we would ask, why can
not our medical friends resolve to write
their prescriptions in plain English p
And why, also, cannot our druggists call
salts" salts, and "turpentine" turpen.
tine ? Are these terms more dangerous
than muriate of sodium, or oeum ,eres
hint hipoa - 49,, 1 l.