Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-04-06
THE EVENING STAR.
NEDNESDAh..- April q, ISsf.
LOCAL NEWS.
PhysiCiagsS aud Pharm acis,s,
THB IssUs BETWEEN THsN.

The District Of Columbia last evening the report
OF the committee upon the subject OF the rela-
tloDs between the doctors and druggists VAS
a5Vfttd. lhe report says that there is no reason
W.! we ieialohs between she TWO professions
shoulu hoI De entirely harIsonious AMI consul
tauen With prominent pharmacists shoss that
.IeIe Is really little or no cause for difference
Inc TWO professions. 50 far from being aniayo-
nistic, are co operative. They work for the "a ne
enc. though their fields OF labor nave be- ma
OIstIuctl separate. This view OF the suhfa,- 8
!, CogGlzed by the code OF ethics Of the Disfrlcr
Sollt ge OF Pharmacy. which says.~ I'VE
o-IleVe the practice OF pharmacy distinct
from The practice OF medicine, add consider
IL Eghly improper 10 Interfere IN tae ore wAile
we practice The other" The College OF Pb,-
u aCy or Philadelphia also recognizes fully rhp,r
distinction. Is thus appears that there Is = 6is
tibet aid official disclaimer on the part OF req
sentative pharmacists OF any desire TO usurp
INC functions OF pD. slclals. Nevertheless ii
Las come 10 the knowledge Of the Medi :al as
ISOLATION, throngh complaint o several OF rs
,a.L3Otls, mat number or druggists are ex-
Ctsclbg the bounds OF their legttimA te buSiae,s
VI thal ln&clSts, and are taking upon them
Selves The duties and responsibilities o. phy,i-
Ciabs. IL Is hot 10 be supposed that such drug
49,, represent, 10 any Cegrer. the SenJi-
ineLts or the better class ia their proress,oo
tLe pf3ctice OF giving medical advice by drug
; s eS EL0 OF, Lot graduates IN medicine Ia
b'en increasing for several wears nast aaI :.
now soinciently Widespread 1 % ienand An p r.
-, .tOttsI ms custom Is not confined 10 81
EesJl rem ed es ia slight eases, such as "co,rs
- M
c<seS aEd fresCrhIBg dt5 after day. 9;fan ,t,t,c
or this purpose the prescriptions OF paySicIa.,9
rom thelr files The code Of ethics OF The PM
aQeipiia College of Pharmacy SAWS .-rbst y
thaImaceutfcal education does not quality for
u csc respoL slole Offices" ana this SHOULD need
10 argument 10 prove. IT Is against the public
Welfare ior unqualified persons TO take into
tteir keeping SO great Responsibility. MANY
ialai diseases, which can only be averted In
Their incipiency have tAetr commencement in
e,lf Ut enc apparently unimportant symptoms.
Uniy ltcognnatie o. az tXperience1 eye. n
person. SUherns from such disease Is treateI
az Gaphazard by one uneducated Ia meilcIne
a cI,e is -, strong probability that his only
Gabot LOT cure VIII De lost. 1t would be Jusli-
AatIe 10 apply strong terms 10 al individual
IShlig sucl an un~arranted responsibility.
Is AIS laundering the lie OF a cIsfo
m5f. or, may he. OF friend, is lost.
Snch cases have frequently come under the
observation or pGy siciALS In other cases not
50 eXtreme, persons have been treated by
crlggists for diseases which they had not, ana
The mistake only discovered when. discouraged
~ fnGlng 10 relief, physician is applied to
iof aoyice. Instances OF this character are of
SUCh common occurrence that IL would oe a
! 5Ste or tire 10 enunlerate them. Enough
has been said 20 show that the people tnea-
selves are the sufferers by this nl-I.Ined prac.
ice, ard mat there t3 something more In &c
than feeling OF jealousy on the part OF phy-
Sic,ai.s inst their peculiar rights are invaded
a. Is charged In defense-by those guilty OF hs
abuse. In several OF the states IL has been
made penal offense for unqualified persons to
me regular profession, for they receive very
little consideration at the hands or the Law
makers. as rule-but In the interests OF The
people. There eau be no doubt OF the beneficial
Working OF such d law for the public good
Another complaint which has been brought 70
me hotlce OF the association ana referred 20 tbs
con nlttee Tor action Is the indiScrim,nate re-
he"al CT prescl ipuons. This has long been a
matter OF annoyance, and sometimes OF posi-
i've Injury to physicians as Well as patients.
1t is easily seen that the indefinite renewal OF
N 70.
whom IL was not lnJended, mig bit be very unjust
10 The doctor, and at the sans time work evil
10 10 nose using iC, because not suited 70 their
cases. No two persons are alike. and the same
disease in different Individuals frequently re-
quires different treatment.
The report gives illustrations OF how renewed
prescriptions work evil MeaCion is made or a
mai DOW an Inmate or the insane asylum In
consequence Of taking TOO mulch chloral which
he procured 10y unchecked renewal OF physi-
Clans prescription. Other instances OF bad re-
suits or the fndiSCriminate rene wal OF pre-
scrfpIons containing poisonous drugs are
clted. 1T is not proposed to In terfeTe with the
IeLeEal OF all prescrlptions-tor that would be
an Inconvenience TO both physician and pa
tlent-buU only TO prevent the renewals or
those which might be Injurious TO the patient
Or unjust 10 the physician. The custom OF IN
dehnite renewals has become so general that
the public expect 1t, and the druggist argues
mat ne would lose Custom by refusing. Il Is
advlsed, then, that the physician should Write
Oh The prescription mot ~ be renewed wuen
he considers y best that It shouIInlt be-
Tie report CT tie c0mmtfee recommended
the adoption OF the following res buttons. They
were adcptec:-I That the pubEc Welfare as
Well as the best interests OF the profession or
intCcine and hat OF pharmacy, are oppose 70
druggists ueurpiDg he functions OF tnt pny.i
clah ny prescribing or giving medical ADVICE;
lhal Wen lie pBA nic.au shall consider tU de-
Sifabie tnaf pr 5CripIion should not be re-
femGd, he vii write on IL Not TO be renewed
and thai prescriptions SO marked should not be
renewed oy the Pharmacist Without the order
Citation VIII Withhold their support aui patron
age from such druggists as thus fail Ia Their
MY TO their own profession, or disregard the
dEecl!cns or the ply slCialS in reference to re-
neWals; that the interests or the medical pro-
Itssion are safe in the hands or reputable phar-
macists. who govern themselves according TO
OF the District of Columbia; that professional
courtesy between ply scians and Pharmacists
de malus that due regard be shown toward
each other In all matters pertaining to pre-
ScTlptions, that neither may be unduiy redecled
upon Lor compromised
The election of officers for the ensuing year
was then bad. It resulted as follows: DR.. j.
Ford Thompson, president; Drs. D. w. Prentlss
and {, IL. A. kleinschm1dt, vice presidents; DR..
y L. Haftgan, secretary (re-eecJed); DR.. u. l..
Magruaer, treasurer (reelected). Couuselors-
Drs. W. u. Palmer, t. Howard, w. w. Johns
ton, j. T. johnson, w. H. Taylor j. w. Bulk
ley, ID. {. Patterson, q. NJ. Schaeffer and e. w.
Franzoni. Board OF censors-Drs. r. Reyburn,
{. L Hsgner ana w. C. Briscoe. Delegates 60
the annual convention OF the American Med-
cal association to be held in RIchmond May 3.
4, and 6-Drs. d. W. PrenJiss, Wm. Lee j. T.
johnson, G. III. A. heinschmidt j. T. Thomp-
son, j. F. Hartigan, A f. A. King, G. L. Ma
EIuder, {. L. Hagner, S. N. Burnett, c. NJ
Ford, Z. c. Morgan, ID. G. Patterson. f. Hyatt,
). 5. Adams, j. A. Harrington, n. Acker and Ii.
L. Leach.
WHAT THE DRUGGISTS SAY.
Tie pnaIn association OF this District
it is understood, Will take the grounds that
druggists should not prescribe, because their
pharmaceutical education does not uuanfy
them. and that PHI sicians should not dispense
because fJ ts distinct profession (see
IN the physicians resoluti0n), and
medical education does not include inStruc-
lions In pharmacy. OAly prescriptions fralght
with danger to the patient should be marked,
mot to be renewed"
Some or the druggists take the ground that
tie action OF the physicians is totally unnecas-
sary. as all the druggists are members OF the
College OF Pharmacy, and there sligo a paper
that they will practice that profession, and not
that OF an NJ ID. They say that the doctors
have made mountain cut OF mole hill, and
that probably not more than three or four
druggists may be found who have made a prac-
tice OF prescribing. Common humanity. they
say, VIII dictate TO druggists In many cases
that no time should be lost In prescribing for
patient.