The New York herald., 1871-02-16
DRUGS AUD DRUGGISTS.
What the Dispensers Think of the
Irving Bill.
Curious Revelations Speculative Pharmaceu-
tsts-The Little Game in the Back Room
Arsenic, Morphine, Laudanum and
Opium-HOmmopathy and Allopathy-
The Matter in Nutshell.

gear, either through the ignorance or carelessness
OF the people engaged in the dispensing OF medicines
In this city and elsewhere, has reached degree
calculated create the most intense excitement in
the minds of the people, and has gone so far as to
cali the attention and demand the intervention Of
the Legislature. The practices that exist and the
rascay that thrives this supposed to be) lucra-
tive business are simply appalling, and that. too, In
the poorest and most crowded parts Of the city,
where not one In ten Of the unhappy results ever
nnds its way to the surface. With view to probe
this matter to the heart and show the public the
true state OF the system representative OF the
FHERALD was sent to work up the facts. The first
gentleman visited answered che would be most
happy to give any information he possessed to the
great organ OF the people, the HERALD" ana the fol-
lowing conversation took pace:-
REPoRTER-I want to learn something about the
drug stores in the city.
DRUaGIsT-Wnat Kind of drug storesp
REpoRTER-Nhv, are there different kindsa
DRUGGIsr-Certainly; there are stores for the com.
pounding OF prescriptions and there are others
where they do nothing OF the sort.
REpoRTER-What do you mean9
DRUG61sT-l mean, sir, that large number OF
Nrug stores In this city are owned by men who
know no more about chemistry than you do; per-
haps noe as much.
I REPoRTER-uow do they manage to carry on the
BUSINESS
DRuGGIsr-Many Of them are spectators who 90
about looking for some little shop that can he
bought pretty cheap. A mans business may run
down. or he may get into some other difficulty.
Then these fellows and offer him 80 much
money for his place, and, being obliged to leave it,
he takes 1t. Then, perhaps they offer him situa.
ton to keep the business on or hire cheap clerk,
who Is sure to do some damage that is never found
out
REpoRTER-This is one OF the kinds, them
DRUGGIsT-Yes; but there is another sort OF store
where the apothecary's business in front is only
blind. The revenue Of the place, which Is consid-
erable comes from the room at the back Of the
chop, where
IMPORTED LIQUORS MANUFACTURED IN THE CELLAR
are sold to regular set OF customers who wouldn't
be seen In q saloon.
REPoRTER-But they must be noticed going in and
. out OF the shop.
DRuGGIsr-Oh, no; that's easily provided against.
There's always door in the rear for the Of these
gentlemen.
REPoRTER-Are there many OF these placesp
DEUGGIsr-There must be. have known several
myself, ana have heard other druggists speak OF
tnem: SO liiat thlnk they are by no means lew.
REP0RTER-D0 they sell medicines IN these
placess
DRUGaIsr-Of course they do. One that Just
remember, Ir0m being respe ctable shop was
turned into negro gambling house. I have since
heard It was not success and was given up.
drugs that ladies use-are they sold cOmmony2
DRuGGIsT-Well, they are and they are not. II
arsenic or morphine ana saws she Is in the habit OF
using IT, OF course she gets it.
REPoRTER-Anywhere?
DRUGGIsT-There may be one or two places where
they won't sell these drugs without q prescription
But they are very exceptional
MISUNDERSTANDING the profit derived frem the
business ASIDE don't you think 1t wrong to sell thems
DgUGGIsT-What are you to do? There is
LAW AGAINST IT, CERTAINLY;
but you wont sell them the store the street
will; besiaes, when one knows 1t IS question Of
REpoRTER--what do you mean2
DsuGssTtt u mean mean @ wnen people Pee are in the habit
you deprive them of it you kill them.
REPoRrER-What is the effect produced by these
DRUGGIsT-Well, sir, I call tia
RESPECTABLE WAY OF GETTING DRUNK,
REPORTER-Without the headache next day2
DRUGGIsT-Women suffer more, hundred times,
when the effect OF the drug has left them than a
man does after a heavy drunken bout nave seen
q woman undergoing agonies for forty eight hours
after.
KEPoRTHR-Do they never try to break the habit9
DRUGGST-With all their might. But the craving
comes back and they must have the drug.
REPoRTER-Is that sort OF thing mucn practlseds
DRUGGIsT-Very extensively.
REPoRTER--In about what quantities
DRUGGIST-Well, know one mistress of a large
household who uses about sixty grains zone drachm)
REpoRrER-Tow much does drachm cost
Observation-Disclosures is thlrty-1ve and forty
am w
from 81 rs to two dollars q drachm There is q
general use, Of which they take about drachm
After a number OF others a first class store on
Broadway was visited. The proprietor fully corrob-
GRATED all the foregoing facts and addedsNot very
long since, SIT, could have pointed out to you q
men who had grog shop on the opposite corner.
REPoRTER-Then you really believe that drug
BLIND FOR GAMBLING HRLLsp
DRUGGIsT-I don't in the least doubt 1t; In fact,
have frequently heard it stated by those who ought
REpoRTER-One gentleman have just seen told
me physicians frequently own drug stores. Is that
DRUGGIST (crtically)-And he might have added
prominent physicians too
REpoRTER-I understood they were distinct pro.
fessions.
DRUGaIsT-so they are, but it happens In this
way "a man mania mas good practice and Is obliged 70
druggist, who is often obliged walt for his money
some time cannot afford to pay the doctor large
percentage on the custom he sends as lie thinks he
ought to nave, SO he opens store OF his own, and
sometimes two, to disarm suspicion, and by that
means pockets the entire proceeds.
REpoRTER-I am told physicians without prac-
tice do the same thing.
DRUGGIST-UndOubtedly; then 1t Is done to get
pne. Like the other
sPECULATogs IN PHYsIC,
he opens one two or three stores, hires an inexpe-
renced clerk and II any error occurs the doctor Is
called In to hush the matter up.
4, REPORTER-H0w do you account for clerks being
bsUaG1sTwIt is the fault OF the public. Men pre-
fer to pay good price for anything else but medl
cine. Now, to show you, man came in here yester-
day with prescription, and was charged fifty cents
for bottle containing thrty-two doses, and he
grumbled at the price.
RRpoRrER-What is the usual standard upon
which clerks are employers
DRUGGIsr-Generaily their experience. When
Young man has been three or four years compound
{n0 prescriptions we consider him competent,
though In the best stores they are submitted to an
REPoRrER-several clerks complain to me they
are poorly paid.
DRUGGISr-They are the
OF any class OF men In New York. Hundreds OF
them work ten and thirteen hours a day and are
paid from nine TO fifteen dollars a week.
REPoRrER-What is your opinion OF the Irving
biilf
DRUaGIsT-There are ore or two good points in It,
no doubt; but 1t only operates against q very small
detail IN the clerks, and doesn't touch those sc0un-
dres whe poison thousands of people every year.
lf ilrht fn rnnn fhn