The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1880-09-25
Physicians and Druggists.

According to the Medical and Surgi-
col Reporter, of Philadelphia, the Me-
dico- Legal Society of this city has
recently issued report which should
be read and pondered both BY physi-
clans as profession and by public
spirited citizens throughout the coun-
try. Some months ago the society
appointed a committee to take into
consideration the relations between
medical men and druggists, and sug-
gest, if possible, some remedy for the
existing frequent usurpatiOn of the
function of the doctor by his coadju-
tor, tile compounder Of prescriptions.
The result has been very brief but
lucid and practical disclosure of the
sources Of the difficulty, concluded
with some remedial suggestions that
are eminently sound aud feasible. By
their professional patronage Of drug
gists physicians have unconsciouly
cultivated and promoted popular CON
tidence in the discretion and training
Of their coadjutors, thus leading their
patient to ask the advice of the latter
in cases of not serious indisposit;on,
and depriving themselves Of large
source Of income. BY this means the
Importance Of the physician as the
primary authority in medical matters
has been diminished, his business i'm
paired, and the prestige Of druggists
increased. That this statement of the
case is true every accurate observer
well knows it is even truer Of New
York than it is of Philadelphia but
it is true of every town and village in
the United States, and a more fragrant
abuse in small towns than in large
cities. On occasions even in smaller
cities the doctor finds the druggist to
lie master Of the situation, and is COM
PEELED to submit to any humiliation
rather than offend him aud lose the
practice he is able to influence. So
the druggist begins BY offering the
ply a small percentage on all
prescriptions sent to him, and ends by
exacting Of the ply sician commission
on patients. Cases of this percentage
business are more common than the
public suppose; there are many ply
sicials in this city to whom the drug
gist pays Il portion of the receipts on
every prescription sent to him and is
compelled to charge accordingly but,
of course, such facts did not come
within the scope of the Medico Legal
Society. There is source Of abuse
by druggists, however, which is too
general to pass without comment,
and that is the substitution Of drugs
for each other. The Doctor prescribes
quinine; the druggist substitutes the
less expensive quinidia and charges
for quinine, or uses an inferior or
adulterated article. This practice is
quite extensive. Diluted tinctures are
employed: bismuth adulterated with
arsenic is made to serve for pure bis
muth in infantile troubles; the child
dies, and the doctor gets the blame.
The committee suggests as a remedy
for this state of things that physicians
shall unite in demanding that drug
gists shall cease to sell quack nos
trims, to prescribe, and to renew pres
criptions that have been placed in
their hands, and shall withdraw their
patronage from those who refuse If
the refusal is general, then the prac
titioner must resume his dispensing
function, provide himself with the
necessary drugs, and furnish his pa
tients with such medicines as they re-
qulre. The movement thus Initiated
" the Philadelphia Medico Legal So
ciety is one of the highest moment,
not only to practitioners but to the
public, and if our medical associations
take hold Of it in earnest, as now
seems likely, patent medicines, adul-
terated drugs and apotheeary advice
to patients will soon he driven from
the market.