Evening star., 1869-09-24
POISON IN PRESCRIPTIONS.
Letter from an Old Practitioner.

WASHINGTON, ID. g., September 22d. IS6a.-
Editor Of The Stdr;-It is q lamen table fact, that
year by year, almost week by week, accidents,
so-called, occur in the prescribing and admin.
istering OF drugs-not q few fatal Several
writers have given their ideas, in your lour.
nal, as 10 their prevention-all producing more
or less valuable counsel. Perhaps no one has
been more to the point than the writer in your
issue OF the goth, who proposes 10 make the
apothecary and physician Jointly responsible,
and desires the apothecary to exercise a sslu-
tdry supervision power over the prescriptions
of the physician. But mono OF the remedies
for the evil seem to be more than palIiatiyes
the real remedy lies further back. Can a mere
yender OF drugs, who sells and mixes medi.
cInes, as grocer does various kinds Of coffee
aud tea, exercise really valuable So per vision
think not. Yet am not aware tina. here or
elsewhere any public test in the form Of exam
iSation and license. by some competent body,
Is reQuired-as is demanded (here at least) Of
physiclans before they are admitted 10 praC-
tice. The preparation Of medicine for the sick
is not merely an art or trade. but a science
one. too, rapidly expanding, and q certain
amount Of scientific study is absolutely neces-
sary before the art can be properly practiced,
or even learned. The apothecary practices a
branch OF the healing ar~he is not the mere
S>rrdnt or instrument Of the physcian-but
should be his faithful assistant or executive
The studies Of both, TO a certain distance, run
parallel. Thus, Materia Medica, (the knowI.
edge OF drugs and their usual doses;) Thera-
peutics-the employment OF them tor the cure of
disease; Chemistry-teaching the action Of one
bly, necessary to both. Botany, natural his.
tory, and natural philosophy-some acquaint-
ance with languages-are almost indispensable
10 either. Then comes pharmacy, or the pre-
pairing of medicines out Of crude drugs Here
the studies ciyerge. While the apothecary ne.
eessarily must study the science, he must learn
OF doing 1T The physician requires but the
hrs', and then DIVORCES from the apothecary
altogether. Togive us well educated apothe-
cares, as well as doctors. and some palpable
mark, sign, or ceremony OF induction by which
we may recognize and honor them as such
Then, and only then, may the apothocary ex-
tions sent 70 him. More Is needed, however,
for security. None but the apotnecary himself,
or a clerk equally qualified, should be per-
mitted to make mp q prescription, unless II be
an apprentice, having previously studied the
science and now learning the art, under their
immediate supervision. Are we now safe
Not by any means. suppose a doctor TO be-
come drunkard gambler, hcentious person,
and thus reckless and careless, will he not
naturally select an apothecary much like him.
self, who, for the sake of profits, connives at
statu quo, fails altogether 70 see them. Here
know no remedy, as long as the people will
risk their lives with drunken, reckless men,
and in apology say, what a pity all our smart
men drink :" A most mischieyous aud diaboli-
cal lie Pity only for the innocent children.
who often become its victims. None for those
of years OF discretion-if they suffer, they
that the most injury to life and health is
done by mistake. Quite the reverse To
a person unacq uafnted with the secrets of
the trade II is inconceivabe what an enormous
amount Of adulterated drugs are in the market.
OF many kinds, such as scammony, q genuine
article can hardly be found al all. And by al
lowing apothecaries, beyond q certain ratio to
the population that will afford q livelihood, to
accumulate in one place, the temptation 10 un-
dersell-and OF course point Is soon reached
where this can no longer be done with genuine
drugs-is urgent and al ways present and leads
to dispensing in ferior articles. Vegetable drugs
chiefly also deteriorste by keeping, often losing
all their virtue; but, for the above reason, must
he sold. Here comes, also, the temptation of
the apothecarv 10 play doctor himself, and,
without proper qualification, prescribe Tor the
sick over the counteT-not only some of the
nameless host of quack or patent medicines
which all are obliged TO keep TO make a living,
but compounds of their own. Add 10 this that
some few physicians, from an execrable cupid
ity, exact from druggists a certain per centage
on their prescriptions, and you see 1t is no
wonder that adulterated, unreliable, dangerous
medicines are daily dispensed. Nothing will
do here but strong legislation, rigldly enforced
by responsible officers, say inspectors, who
shall not only destroy all adulterated, spoiled,
and valueless drugs AT once, bat al stated times
make public report of their doings and obser.
yations. Your friend.
AN OLD PRACTITIONER.