Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1881-09-29


tinct; that is, druggist cannot pre-
scribe and physician can not COM
pound medicines. With us it is not SO
| fixed by law, and can not be fixed in
perhaps a majority Of cases, especially
in the practice of physicians where
drug stores are not accessible, and still
more in cases requiring very prompt
treatment. The safety Of the patient
Is the highest law, and that will accord
to physicians the right to compound
their own prescriptions.
In the process of time the necessities
Of the case on one side led to some ov-
erstepping on the other, and druggists
became physicians, and prescribed as
we'll as compounded medicines; and
that was the shape ia which our re-
cent law found the drug and medicine
business. The design Of the law, so
far as it can be gathered from the text,
is to correct this practice, which is
deemed an abuse under the law.
1t will be seen at once that this law
does not place the physician and the
pharmacist. or druggist, in antagon-
ism; for whilst it is true that while the
law permits the physician to register
as druggist, and does not permit the
druggist, or pharmacist, to register as
physician or prescribe medicine, yet IL
let's the latter in on patent and propri-
etary medicines, which regular physi-
clans are barred from touching by the
rules Of their profession; AMI as these
medicines are offered as remedies for
all the ills to which flesh is heir. and
as gullibility is large factor in human
character. the druggist has more than
an even thing OH the doctor.
In theory the design Of the law is to
promote public safety by securing
greater skill and carefulness in drug
gists, but it is difficult to see how, un-
der the operation Of the law, securing
secures.
In the first place, whilst the law es-
tablishes board Of examiners for
druggists and pharmacists, and the
law says the members shall be selected
from the most competent pharmacists
of the State, but who Is to judge of
their ircompetency? The Governor must
recommend them to the Senate which
approves them. Who knows whether
the Governor could give the distinc-
ton between antheIminties and toxi-
cology; for, as an instance of the ignor-
ance prevailing in high places in Mis-
souri,, the Commissioner of Public In
struction, who claims to be doctor,
has put himself OH record as ignorant
of the distinction between physiology
and anatomy.
The law also provides that they shall
not be connected with any school Of
pharmacy. The term school IL capa-
ble of very wide range here; but TAX
ing it i'm the sense most favorable to
the law, where would you expect to
find a competent pharmacist If not in a
professors chair in a college of phar-
macy? The law gives this board pow
er to make bylaws and all necessary
regulations, and create auxiliary boards
if necessary.
Now suppose for one moment that
three of the most distinguished profess
sors i'm schools of pharmacy In the
State had been appointed. They could
have created auxiliary boards, If neces.
sary, and furnished list of printed
questions with the answers separate.
In that way uniformity would have
been secured, and the public could have
had some assurance of skill in examin-
alton; some assurance that those who
passed examination were skillful In
their business.
AS the law stands, the whole thing
is at loose ends, especially when we
think of the crude material gobbled up
into the medical profession all over the
State by Legislative enactment some
years ago.
But there is another point I'm the law
i'm regard to schools Of pharmacy. Sec.
provides that all graduates in phar-
macy having diploma from an incor-
porated college or school of pharmacy
that requires q practical experience in
pharmacy of not less than four years
before granting diploma, shall be enti-
tied to have their names registered as
pharmacists by said board without
examination.
There is a nice point there in the law.
A party having four years. experience
in pharmacy obtains a diploma, which
does not extitle him TO practice with
out registration, at cost Of two dol
lars. Suppose this party has good
English education, and studies phar-
macy at home for one year, and goes
before the board and pays three dollars,
and is admitted to practice on examin-
alton, he saves three yeaIs' time and
all the expenses of school Of pharma-
cy; or suppose he fails Oh his first ex-