Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1869-10-14
LErrsRs Fasm rHE PEOPLE,

Editor Of he Star- In a late number OF yeur
valuable paper appeared letter from an ..OId
Practitioner" IN regard to Druggists and the
joint r.sponsioiIity Of prs.crieer ana prsps.sr
poisoning cases recorded, and the attention OF
The public to the matter Ia AZ last greatly and
Justly aroused, It's Al old Saying, and 1 true
. poa nd Of cure;" but in this case both pre-.
vention and cure have been sadly neglected
There IS one remedy, and why not apply 1T
La the hope that nov, while we have 90 many
fresh s'accidens'' ~ Of poisoning before Ne,
IL he proper time TO agitate effective reform
with some chance Of success, and having from
time to time seen IN your heeraIorvan several
solicit space for few lines. in addition to these
others, touching the same desirable object
reform in pharmaceutical anatrs.
i shall never forget an incident that hap
friends had been very III with infismmauon Of
the aim entary canal. He was con valsscsnt
Doctor O.. FORBID him 70 eat any article OF food
or refreshment without the doctors special ap.
prevail. Contrary to these otaers he eat q
stngle cherry. which nearly coss him his lif-.
When cherries can on certain occasions carrv
such fatal effects with them, wrought to guard
against the fearful danger or the haSSiling and
dispensing by ignorant and incomS Stent per.
sons of such powerful agents ss Drugs.
One more illustration tor qofGuments sake
Caiomel II considered a comparatively harm.
less remedy when given in proper dose, .
More so is muriate Of ammonia But give both
sim ultaneously, and death may be the result
II was an accident Of this kind that caused
faet that caIomei with The chlori1ss OF ii rallies,
form double salts, containing the bichloride of
mercury, which is one Of our most terrible
poasops. Miaale, Selmi and Riegel tried to
show that a higher temperature was necessary
to produce such result, but q dea tn, with al
the symptoms of poisoning from bichloride OF
mercury, resulting from the use Of injections
Of solution OF common salt while the patient
NJ as In ar0o Of oil
the contrary. Drugs are dangerous.
We should not allow every body who hap.
pens TO have few hundred dollars to invest
to fit mp drug store and compound prescrip.
norant. We pharmaceutists are more anxious
than the public at large to rid our corps of
charlataDs; for we cannot, as q body, claim the
respect which should be entertained toward
all scientific professions 30 long as we have
them among our number. But we can do
nothing without the aid Of the public and the
press for 1t il a painful fact that the IN worthy
and ignorant are nearly rs numerous-aud
prosperous, too-as the. for their profession.
theoretically and practically educa,ed phar.
Oldest, worthiest and best known Of our frater.
nifty 70 take the lead in forming nsse Pharma-
ceutical Association. All true druggists will
Join Immediately with will. Then petition
Congress to give the association a charter an.
thorizing it to exclude all who cannot show a
diploma from some recognized pharmaceutical
institution, or pass an examination before a
board appointed by the officers OF the associa.
ton, from obtaining licenses. Furthermore,
druggists should pay their licenses. not to the
Government, but to the Pharmaceutical Asso.
citation, and the money be appropriated to the
foundation and maintenance Of college of
pharmacy, with the necessary library, etc,
where public lectures could be deli vered for
the benefit Of students. No licenses should be
granted to unqualified persons, and those who,
Notwithstanding complete ignorance Of their
business ~ "A
should be compelled to leave their establish.
mems in charge Of qualified persons.
Who will help me agitate this Messrs.
Harbaueh, Gilman and Marin, ETC., ETC., could
do much towards the reform, and can undoubt.
edlv suggest many improvements on my plan.
Will they do It? am sure the public will
lend all assistance. Let us net drop the matter
Yours, very respectfully, 90.