Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1883-03-07
NO.. 81
WISCONSIN PHARMACY LAW

The prompt passage last year by the
Wisconsin Legislature of the bill to regu
late the practice of pharmacy gave to the
state unquestionably the best law on the
subject to be found in the country. 1t is
sufficiently stringent to debar incompet-
ent and unworthy persons from gaining
admission to pharmaceutical practice and
to insure gradual elevation of the stand
ard Of the profession, resulting in the ut
most protection to the public from the
dangers attending the dispensing Of med
icine by unqualified, self styled "drug-
gists.'
The protection of life is the prime Of
flee of our government and the enact
ment and maintenance of laws calculated
to promote this end, the chief duty of
legislative bodies. That the legal regula-
ton Of the practice Of pharmacy Is COM
prlsed in proper legislation of this char
acter, is universally admitted. Every en-
Iightened nation, the United States only
excepted, furnishes a practical illustra-
ton OF this fact il their statutes against
the dispensing of prescriptions except by
persons legally ascertained to be trust
worthy aud competent. A number of
American states have adopted similar
statutes, comprising Maine, Rhode Island,
Connecticut, New Hampshire, New Jer
sey, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina,
West Virginia, Missouri, Kentucky,
Ohio, Iowa, illinois and Wisconsin. The
list is receiving additions nearly every
year, and it is safe to predict that Indi-
ana, in the west, and New York and
Pennsylvania in the east, will soon be
enrolled. One result OF this enlarge
ment of the territory under regulation
must be that the rejected material of
these states will pour in multiplying
numbers into the states having no phar-
macy laws, as is particularly the case
with Indiana today in its accessions of
defeated aspirants tor registration in Iowa,
illinois and Wisconsin.
In view of these facts it is with much
surprise that we learn of bill having
been introduced in the Wisconsin legis-
lature, having for its object the repeal Of
the pharmacy law of that state. The en-
viable reputation of Wisconsin for Edu-
cational enterprise and progressiveness
justihes the belief that this reactlonary
scheme will receive little sympathy or
ouPpOAC ITOIu Ing p0oP1O VI WV
The public is vitally interested IN Its
maintenance; it has everything to gain
and nothing to lose. The law is not an
expense to the state nor to any citizen Oh
the state, save the druggists themselves
It abridges the just privilege OF 10 one.,
is faithfully and ably, yet Literally ad-
ministered, aud for a new educational
measure of restrictive character, Is excep-
tionally popular. Laws of this kind are
al ways opposed by class who, for o6Yl-
Gus reasons, detest any form OF education
al Qualification. The sooner the Wi5con-
sin pharmacy law meets this opposition
the sooner will its vindication as an emln-
emily wise enactment be assured. The
best element of the profession Is, 1t may
be safely said, overwhelmingly in favor
of its maintenance, and even the few
possible malcontents must admit that the
law is entitled to fair trial before being
condemned An intelligent and prudent
public sentiment will see that this IS
done.-ChicaGo Druggist.