The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1884-07-15
7. r. JORDAN.
They Make Mistakes.

eyes, druggists sometimes make mis-.
takes, said prominent member oi
that craft to a reporter That they
don't make more is proof that, as a
rule, they are careful and skilled in
their business.
Did you ever see the place where
the druggist does the incest part of his
work? No? Well. step this way and
| Ii show YOU. Here is what is called
the prescription case Behind this he
stands and compounds the medicines
On the shalves, within easy reach of his
hand. are hundreds of little vials. filled
with drugs. Some of them are harmless.
taken in any quantity, while others are
50 powerful that in every drop there is
death for a strong man
Are they all used in iilling prescrip-
tons?"
"All OF them; some rarely. A few of
them we have occasion to Use constant
~. but YOU see they are all here to be
chosen from by the clerk who fills pre-
scriptionS. The most deadly of these
drugs looks no more harmful than the
most innocent. Suppose he is careless,
or is in a tit of absent mindedness? :?
Serious results follow and perhaps some
person life pays the forfeit
"Haye YOU known many such mis-
take, in your eXperienceo'
'ln AN experience Of over twenty
years. have known none of serious
nature, but of coursel have heard of IA
number | came very near having one
To account for myself when | was II
clerk 4 man came in with pre-
,cription and filled ii, but instead OF
the comparatively harmless drug which
was the basis of the prescription | put
in drug which was most powerful
poison, and which in the dose which the
doctor prescribed would produce death
in Il very short time. wrote the direc-
tionS on the bottle, gave it To the Gus.
left. He had been gone but few min
uteS when it flashed across my mind
| that had made Il mistake could no
more tell You how happened to MAKE
| the mistake than could explain why
the knowledge flashed upon me that
had given the man the wrong medicine.
Selling my hat and calling to the junior
clerk to watch the store. | started after
the man, for it happened fortunately
that knew where the man lived. |
had five blocks to 90 to reach him.
Never before or since did get over the
ground so fast Without any ceremony
! rushed into the house, and found that
my customer had Just laid the bottle on
the table, and was taking of his over
coat While he stared at me in mute
astonishment reached for the bottle,
which was still wrapped up. made
clean breast of the whole thing; told him
! would 90 back and rcctify the mis-
take and bring the medicine to him.
He promised not too tell on me. and he
kept his word. You may think it queer
but filled many prescription for that
man after that"
"Do the doctors ever make mistakes
in writing prescriptlons?'
Often, and that is another thing that
II druggist has to look out for. The
doctor might make Il mistake either be-
cause he is ignorant or absent minded.
The druggist must discover 1t, have it
rectiied, or perhaps kill the patient.
In training Young prescription clerks,
and have donea good deal of that
work. often write prescriptions for
them to fill. In some of them ! pre-
scribe deadly doses of different drugs, to
see if the tyros detect the errors. Oc-
casionly prescribe two or three drugs
in themselves harmless, but which in
combination make deadly poison. 1t
is good way TO teach the boys the Sc.
crets OF the trade. ~ Chicago Mail.