The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-01-13
rnE srArE pnAnMAcIsrs.
The Special Meeting Of the Association
Held Yesterday.

Held Yesterday.
In accordance with the call Of the Prcsi.
dent Of the West Virginia State Pharmaccuti.
cal Association Issued few days since, about
forty members Of the Association, including
nearly all the city druggists and several from
various parts Of the State, met in McIain's
Hall yesterday morning at 1880 o'clock,
President Laughlin In the chair and Charlie
MoeukemOeiier the Secretary, at his desk. In
opening the meeting the Chair stated that he
had found II impossible, In view OF the press
Ing need OF q meeting 10 comply with article :
Of the Constitution under which the meeting
was called, 70 give as required, twenty days
notice, He had been requested by d large
number TO call this meeting In order that, as
an association, they might take some action
and adopt some nlcRsurs In relation to the
Objectionable features Of bill No. ga, as pre-
pared by the ReVlSOry Committee; he had re-
ceiyed a number OF communications, some Of
which were read from members OF the asso.
citation who were unable to attend the meet
ing, but strongly expressing their feelings
and ideas. With few remarks on the bill
to be discussed, Mr.. I.aughlln DECLARED the
meeting open for business.
The lNTELIIGRNCER recently, In connection
with notice OF the call, gave brief SYNOPSIS
OF the license bill, No. "a, as far as II relates
10 druggists, and the public knows what the
points are that the druggists objected to. 1t
Is not therefore necessary at this time To
speak Of the bill.
MIR. McCabe said that before anything was
done be would like TO hear from one Of the
State Commissioners. Mr.. Booking being
present. spoke as follows:
Mn. President While recognizing the
fact that this is not the time or place Tor an
extended report Of the business or oilicisl
acts Of the Commissioners OF Pharmacy I
West Virginia, yet it will give me pleasure
to make any statement in regard to the Com.
missioneEs or their work that may be for the
benefit OF any brethren Of the profession
that arc present here today. In the month
OF December the Commissioners made re.
port to the Governor Of this State, which re-
port appeared In the papers Of this city. II
may, however, be interesting to call your at
tentiOn TO some Of the principal points In
that report Our report shows that there are
three hundred and fourteen registered phar-
macies In the State, scattered through the
congressional districts as follows First one
hundred and twenty-five; Second, ninety:
Third, seventy.two. The counties OF Logan.
Mcdowell, PeRdletoR, PocahoH,as, Wayfie
and Wyoming are so far unreprcsented in the
register. The other counties vary in their
representation about In the ratio Gftheir pop.
ulation. One hundred and eighteen towns
and cities have druggists who are reg
| tstered pharmacists. A large proportion
OF the number were registered by virtue Of
the provisions Of the act allowing all those
engaged in the business at the passage Of
this uct, to register; that is, without exami.
nation. There are only Hive Graduates
registered; four Of them are in the City Of
Wheeling. OF those who were examined,
about Is per cent passed. The report also
shows that there are but few Of the druggists
in this State doing business in violation Of
the law. In regard to the handling Of dead.
| ty potS0ns by country storekeepers and sell.
ing them from the same vessels in which
articles of food are sold, the report recon-
IuendS All amendment to the law prohibiting
such sales. You will observe from the report
that the Commissioners propose some amend.
ments to the Pharmacy act. They do this
after consulting with many druggists OF the
State, and, as they believe, for the benefit of
the entire profession. They DO not propose
to assume or take upon themselves any
authority that does not properly belong to
them, but consider it their duty, as Il is their
pleasure, TO carefully consider and suggest
what they may think to be for the best int
rests OF the drug trade in West Virginia.
This meeting has been called in order that
we may agree upon what is best to be done
TO show 10 the honorable members OF the
Legislature of West Virginia the great in
| Justice that will be done to us and our bust
ness, as druggists, by the passage Of what Is
known Us House bill No. "a. The Commits.
sionerS believe that the existing Pharmacy
act is comprehensive enough to fully rcgu-
late the practice OF pharmacy and sale of all
Intoxicating liquors in this State, and that
with 4 few minor exceptions, it has been
found TO be all that is needed; but why
should we, when some OF us have made it q
life study TO learn our profession as phar.
maciSts, be required under this new House
bill TO he examined by three physicians who
shall be selected by the Circuit Court? 1t is
absurd. How many physicians are there in
this State who know anything about phar.
macy? They can write prescription, it is
true; but how many are they that can coul.
pound them, or even know what they pre-
scribe should look like Give them an enluI.
sion to make, or pill to gelatine coat, and
see what it will be. We all know that our
profession is separate and distinct profess
sion from that Of physician; and as TO the
responsibility, you know that our calling is
one OF more responsibility than that Of ply.
stefan, for it is not only our duty TO know
the purity OF what We dispense, but also to
be familiar with the doses and action OF all
drugs and medicines, aud keep fatherly eye
over our physicians prescriptions, and see
that they have not ovefreached themselves in
the doses OF what they prescribe. In another
clause OF the bill, 1t says that the prescrip.
tions must come from a physician Of sober
habits. Please tell me who Is to be the Judge
of his sObriety, the doctor, druggist, patient,
court, or who? Or must the physicians char.
Acter for SObriety be established by his wear.
ing Murphy blue ribbon? Better have each
physician, before he can engage in the pruc.
tice OF medicine, examined by three pharma.
cists, and you might know what the result
will be. l will not treSpass further upon
your time, but in order TO bring the import.
ant business Of the meeting forward for dis
cuSsion, move that u committee Of five be
appointed to prepare an address to the LeCis.
lature OF West Virginia, stating the objec.
tionaele features OF House bill "a" and re.
queSting any amendment to the present
Pharmacy act that they may consider necess.
airy.
The Commissioners Of Pharmacy, as stated.
upon consultation with many prominent
pharmacists, have laid before His Honor the
Governor, first, the amendment TO strike out
the words in section 0, vessel shall be color
ed black, in section II to add the words sex.
cept those poisons enumerated in schedules
\ and i, and SOME other amendments
(which are calculated only to aid the Commits.
sioners Of Pharmacy to fully discharge their
duties in the enforcement Of the Pharmacy
Act; for example, that every registered phai.
macist shall have his certificate in conspic.
nous place, or in case he has no certificate
from this board, it shall be sufficient proof to
the Prosecuting Attorney to have him in.
dicted for violating section another clause,
that it shall be the duty OF the Prosecuting
Attorney TO aid the Commissioners in their
duties. Section o. latter clause, reads
thus: Nor shall 1t be lawful for
any licensed or registered druggist or
pharmacist to retail or sell any alcoholic
liquors or compounds as beverage; and any
violation Of the provisions of this section
shall make the owner or principal of said
store or pharmacy liable to fine OF not less
than twenty-five dollars nor more than
one hundred dollar; and, in addition
thereto, for reDeated violations of this soc.