Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1869-09-20
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.

Death In PrescrtPttous-fhe Remedy.
Editor .SIar Since the iamentabls a,cid.n,
IN the First ward, whereby lady lost her life
through the carelessnsss OF the physician or
gross neglect OF the drugsist. the city papers
usNe oeen teeming with protests AGAINST what
- safeeea as the mismsnagement OF our drug
stores. People have gotten 70 oe very careful As
INTO whose hands they eutrust a prescription
NO one wants 10 be poisoned Of hand; but per-
than the druggist 10 whom his prescriptioa 4.
sent IL mistake be made. That neither doctor
nor drneeist Is infaliiole, is a proposition NOT
70 De questioned, but uemit that OF the former
q greater ACCOUNTABILITY should he r.Cntrst
than OF the latter. IL Is the easiest thius IN ths
world 70 say that sickness oftentimes comes.
prescriptions wrong and harmful ingrsdisuts:
but do they, the sick folk, ever think that tne
doctor who feels their pulse. who diagnose.
the disease, who writes out q learned prescrip-
ton, may sometimes ana somehow make n
tapsas tahgEa on paper Now, for instance, a
DOCTORS chIrography says "rinct Opn
Camph, as one article OF many. The physi-
eian, IN the hurry of writing, may. as has often
oeen done, omitted the word ssCamph." and
instead of paregoric the patient gets lauda-
numEand with laudanum death Or, (and
tors prescription says sIaq. Ammon Acct
harmless remedy for fever. Supposa the
doctor, IN his hurry, should omit the word
acct" why, then the patient would swoI-
low raw, biting, Singing hartshorn-pleaSsn
In It's quiet smeil-muca us-d for faintfaI
women, but Beelzebub when tskea inter-
a
gat hold"
Another instance. tnus OF An t,d Ds'e or
Oie. Anlgd. AmdrG. There Is but one word Of
oIneren &C here. Yet a mistake by the doctor
might readily occur in the Ia tie of writing A
prescription. and II il did. and the lat ,sr were
VIII wristsn instead OF the former. there would
many a grave.
Examples might easily be multiplied vhers
n n
letter, have substituted baleful drugs for harm
less ones. and Sc mt folks to-somew where.
lnfallibility is unattainable even by ply
slcians Perfection, of course, we expect in
Metnodism, for IL rs theolo gical tenet: but
even Metnodists err sometimes ehrogra phi
cally. Ii was old Bishop SouIe that Us ed to
close MS letters with "gord be with u"
So conclude that by legal enactment some
responsibility should attach 70 the druggist
who puts mp prescription-that he sh Ould by
law be qualified 10 have a su uparyision over the
work OF his fingers. and use his Judgement IN
the commingling OF the ingredients going 20
make mp prescription In the First Ward
manslaughter, the Coroner's Jury held the
druggist as guIltIess, because he followed the
physician 8 order. In the common opinion of
men, he had no right 10 fellow a prescription
that was evidently wroRg: but the Iamensss of
the law was his whole legal delivery. aud n
opium enough to Kill a regiment had been pre-
scribed, and the physician who wrote the pre-
scrlption, regular practcing and licensed
enc, the apothecary would have been justified
IN administering the dose.
maIntain-and this is the animu. OF nv let
ter-that there should be q divided RESPONSE
oiiity as between the doctor and druggist that
the latter, at least, should have the right of
protest where mis- individual Judgment con-
demned prescription or objected 10 the pro-
portions thereof. 1t will not do 20 say that
druggists are simple mechanic cal agents TO COM
pound what medical men write ON paper in
lead pencil that they shall. Ii there be value
life are better than one; and IL the doctor
should make either an omission or a MISTAKE,
take IL that IL should be rectIfied by the drug
gisI No mans life is safe leaning on one:
The wittiest physician in the city told the
writer a few days ago that uring the summ~
months the town had been alarmlngly healthy;
that there had been good many deaths, but
they were generally so sudden that the doctors
had no chance; but he anticipated a revival In
trade soon, in the way Of chills and fevers.
God bless them! and he pinned his faith on
thai! With sickness comes the doctor; ana
conclude by saying that IL the doctor prescribes
for you, go TO regular druggist who lie not
only careful himself, but who is not AFRAID to
take the responsibility OF differing from the
doctor, not only in regard 70 the terminology
but the proportions OF a prescription. Ii this
course be adopted, II may cheat an undertaken:
IL may save q life. SrIrr.
WASHINGTON. ID. C., Sept. Is, ls6s.-Dear
Star: Permit me, through your columns TO call
the attention OF the proper authorities to the
nuisance existing on 7th street, on the west
side, between b and Pennsylvania avenue.
great many persons are compelled to either
sooy WY oi lVtn stfeet or Etn 70 get 70 fenn-
syivania avenue. The nucksters seem TO have
Aken possession OF the pavement. 1t is utterly
impossible for lady or gentleman TO pass by
Inc sidewalk Is filled up either by barrels
or caooages, watermelons, &c., and gang OF
boys and girls, both black and white, with big
baskets full OF garbage for hogs standirg in the
way and rubbing your clothes full of hitn. NV
wHe ana were passing along some time ago,
and bad 70 let her pass first, and she mad her
dress all torn to pieces by the barrels and boxes.
tnougnt there was an order issued making
tne proprletors remove their stands. but it
seems 10 be dead letter. hope that Mr.
hcf ariand will try and remedy the matter
ana secure free and safe passage through.
Yours, respectfully, SRT