, 1874-07-12

|
stocks often. -
Eeportcr-Do tho majority OF the hous.
renew their stocks frequontly?
Or. powcll-No; there are only three or for
in the city who have fresh drugs on hand.
DRUGS ADULTERATEp.
Rcporter-What drugs arc adu!terated?
| Or. Powell-Well, pulvclizcd opium and pu
verzed rhubarb.
Eeporler-Hon are they fixed mp
| Or. Powel-With Ecorchcd flour, which Iool
| yery much like the drug.
Keporter-Wl,at effect does it have?
Or. Powel1-1t renders the drug less efficient
and it does not produce tie eTec: desired, all
larger doscs have to be prescribed.
| Repotter-What about other drugs?
| Or. powell-Al expensive drugs are not up t
| the standard required by the United State
| plarnacoptEia.
Kerortcr--Do you know how they are mad
| 1ower2
Dr.. powcll-Ycs.-vith inferior articles. Fo
instance u making the tincturo Of opium, gun
or crudc opium is used. because it costs less.
Reporter-Arc its effects injurious?
Dr. Powell-No, but the strength ia impaired
30 that now, instead Of prescribing certain luss
expecting to get an effect, the drug is admins
tered until tho effect il produced.
Keporter-..That is, you increase the quantity
DR.. Po~cl1-Yes.
Reporter-It Icing uncertain when you give q
prescription for curtain quantity Of drug thai
It will be put up?
DR.: powel1-Tle amount called for will be put
up, but it will bo deficient in strength.
RESULTS.
Reporter-Haye you ever known auy serious
results to ensue from adulterations?
Dr.. PowcH-No fatal results-poisonous but
I have frequently known tie drugs not to pro-
duce the effects desired.
Reporter-Do you know Of any other adulterat-
ed drugs?
Dr.. Powell-We11. nearly all the eli1irs made
in the East, aud eold he.e, do not contain what
they purport to. I do not know that they are
adulterated, but do know that they are defoct-
i've. For instance, the Elixir OF Calisaya should
be made from pn1yerized Ciuchona bark, with
quinlno, which il much cheaper aud gives less
trouble ia used. Several articles supposed
to contain pcpsin, sold in this market,
we're recently subjected to chemical
analyais, and found to contain no pepsiu at all,
with one exception. ThatAcan hardly be called
an adulteratio:1, the drug being entirely absent.
Nerorter-I speak of adulterated drugs.
DR.. Powell-Woll, it is very difficult to get at
it. Personally. have no knowledge Of the
adultcration OF anv drugs other than those I
have mentioned. have seen them myself, and
know that other drugs are defective.
Reporter-Does the knowledge that drugs
lack strength govern physicians in having their
prescriptions put up at certain drug-storos?
Dr.. Fowell-Ies; since they know they will bo
put up properly bg such druggists.
much drugs are sdultera ted?
DR.. poWell-Cnly by chemical analysis.
COURSE OF PHYSICIANS.
Reporter-Are physicians generally aware of
the fact that drugs arc cdulterated?
DR.. Powell-f think SO.
Repor.er-And do they prescribe larger auan-
titles than they otherwise would to produce IN
effect?
Dr.. powell-Yes, it is often done. The dose
ut tho present day is one-third larger than what
would be termed the standard dose that is, tile
one laid down III the United States plar-
macopaia; and it arises from the fact that We do
not get the effect desired by the standard dose
Or an entire absence of the medicine called for
in the prescription
Reporer-Then if nil the drugs we're purs
c1uch smaller quantities "vuld be given to pa
tents?
DR.. Powell-Yes.
Keporter-Mcdicino would he doled out in the
way?
Dr.. Powell-Homeopathist hare no dose.
lhere IS no comparison between homeopathy and
Lllopathy In that respect, since the lomeop-
Ithists 70 on tho principle that the greater tie
llntion the greater the effect.
hcpoIter--Can you think Of anything else
nth reference to the subject?
TIRE MODERN SYSTEM.
Dr.. Po1e11-Wel, do not beiieve mvself that |
rugs are as a much adnlterated as is generally
but that they are rather inert-nega- t
I've III their character. The principle uow=-
lays is to give medicine until the effect is pre-
uced, irrespective Of the dose.
Keporter-That arises from the weakness of |
he drugs?
Dr.. powell-Tho variable strength Of tho |
Medicine sold in the shops. Tie Pnarlnocopu;a !
ays down the dose Of tinctlre OF opium as from |
en- to fifteen drops. II It wero so PREPARED it |
'ould produce certain eject. But we no !
onger expect it from that dose. and order 1t re-
eatcd until the effect is evident.
Rsp0rter-How often is it repoated7
DR.. Powell-As the medicine varies exceed
1gly, It may be repeated once or twice, or even
lree Lines.
TIE REMEDY.
Keporter-ls there any remedy for this adul-
,rative lisease2
Dr.. Powell None, except for the physicians to
and patronizo only such stores as ara
nowh to keep reliable medicines But that
'u!d hardly be done, as it would subject patients
r their friends to great Inconvenience.
Aeporter-The fact that Physicians do recon-
lend certain drug-stores has ensendorel the
ahef that they receive commissions On their
Is that true?
Dr. Iowell-1t Is my firm belief that very few
1yslcans receive commissions know Of only
70 or three who do. They generally send their
lere is more likelihood Of tho mixtures being
'operlJ prepared, ami the drugs called for put
to them.
El. WHOLESALE DEALERS STORY.
Van Schnuck. Stevenson & Reid.
The articles in greatest demand at this season
tue year are quinine and morphine. Any
[ulteraton of these drugs is 30 dangerous to
o aud health, and is so easily detected that
" have tile temertty to attompt to palm of
unterfeit resemblance to tho original. A
lebrated firm in New York furnishes tho bulk
these articles that are dispensed from the
tail stores in this city, and 80 high is their
2utation that the brand ''p. l. W." is univer-
lily received as guarantee Of the purity Of the
ug. Morphine ia sold at wholesale ut 9C.75
r ounce, and is retailed from the stores in onc-
;hth-ounco walls at S1.25 apiece, showing a
oft of 1926 per OUNCE Qainine costs at
lolcsle s3.75 per ounce and retails at 50 cents
1rachnl. +
A small pile Of boxes containing this valuable !
mpound, in size about feet wide and feet
III, was shown the reporter in the wholesale
adjustment Of Van Scnaack, Stevenson j. Reid.
Tho bill for this little monument of boluses
s 9l,5oo. In conversation had with the +
of lii =