The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-01-29
RESTRICTING THE SALE OF NARCOTIC
AND OTHER POISONS.


10 tkt Euft0F ~ He DtsPu""'
Having read the article In your paper
written BY DIR. w. q. Rogers, / would
like 10 make few remarks on opium
eaters. Having had an experience OF ten
wears with these wrctchcd victims, pro-
Tess to know something Of this great evil
under which they labor. 0ftentimes ha-
bit,,al drunkards win resort TO the use OF
narcotics so as to break of from the habit
az intoxicating liquors, knowing that
opium will have the same effect on the
nervous system rs whiskcy. and Will not
cause so much destruction In mans
family, such as wife-beating, furniture
breaking, &c also, 10 Is a much better ana
cheaper mode OF stimulating the system
than the use OF whiskey. Let such law
pass prohibiting druggists from selling
narcotics, and you will find more intoXics-
ton In the lsnd caused by wbiskey than
the present use OF morphine. &c. III
opium-catcrs cannot get their narcotics
they will get from the bar-rooms that iluid
which DESTROYS more HE In one day than Is
caused bv the druggists In a century.
DIR. Rogers Is right In his statement that
Il leads TO premature graves; but the NOR
tality Is greater among the drunkards than
the opium-eaters, and there are more whis-
key-drinkers made by doctors than opium
eaters made by druggists. We are not the
parties who prescribe these narcotics for
The sick, Every case traced back shows
the fault is IN the doctor. who knows not
the end Of these things, and row the drug
rist Is 10 blame. Let your State Chemist
,uaIyze the contents of these bar-rooms,
and they will find there a greater destroyer
of human life than will be found In the
drugstore. I must admit this is great
evil and should he suppressed. but there
Is no use i'm stopping one hole for the safe
~ of the blind when there are 1000 others
left open. In conversation with IN opium
enter. he said II il were in his power he
would give all the wealth in the United
States IL he could abstain from this de-
structiyc habit. but IL he gave up the use
Of opium he would have TO resort to the
Use OF whiskey. What are such men as
these to do when their narcotics are taken
from themy They can get whiskey; ana
see no use in suppressing opium when
the river of whiskey Is flowing freely.
WHY. il a little child Is taken sick in the
dead hour OF the night the doctor must be
called in and charge 50 for night VISIT,
when few drops OF paregoric would give
relief. 1t is true doctors don't get paid for
every prescription they write, and they
know it, so the consequence is. when one
Is called up at a late hour. when the wind
is bowling and the snow is falling. he puts
his ear 10 the speaking-tube and asks.
:. Who is tbat?" The answer is, Mr..
Black" "Who is sick, Mr.. Black"
s. My little baby" He knows Mr.. Black is
not able to pay, but don't like to tell him
he will not 90. So be makes up such an
excuse as this: mr.. Black, l would go
with pleasure. but j expect telegram
from Lynchbug every minute, so you had
better get another doctor" Now. what
ire the poor little innocent babes TO do I'M
Ter such law am no advocate for the
ale OF such narcotics, but it seems TO be
absurd TO try to restrict this great
WI. T. j. GATES, Druggist.
..Apotheeary's" Views.
To the Editor of the Dispatch
We see from the Dispatch OF this date
hat there is bill before the Legislature
concerning the sale of medicines contain
ne poison without the prescription OF
ONE physician. This bill. il passed, would
,e nothing more or less than class legisla-
ion against the druggists. In the sale OF
medicines containing pois0ns all druggists
hould use discretion and time and again
We refuse 10 sell TO parties when there Is
eason to believe there was abuse OF the
rticles intended but 10 have q bill passed |
o restrict us in our legitimate business |
would be unfair and entirely unnecessary. |
( party makes up his mind to eat opium |
r morphine, or to drink laudanum, all the |
La 4 auiotafytro will |
ot prevent him or her from doing so; and |
We contend that there are many more |
|eaths from other causes-whiskey, for in- |
tancc. and many others-than from arti- |
les obtained from drugstores. III it was
put to the vote Of the mothers, wives, and
iaughters OF this city or State as TO the
legislation against the sale OF medicines con-
aiming poison or against the sale OF whis-
Key, we venture to say that we would roll
np majority OF thousands against the sale
Of whiskey; yes, the men themselves
would vote against it; but yet we see no
bill offered to legisate against bar-rooms.
Now, we would like TO know ii every
time one OF our children is taken sick in the
night, when drop or two OF laudanum or
small quantity OF paregoric given by the
mother, who IN many such cases is as good
Is the doctor himself, we are to send for a
loctor and pay him S. for a night visit or
s2 for day visit, when you could 90 TO a
drugstore, and for or 10 cents get the
Medicine required. There is hardly q
amily which does not some time or other
rave to purchase vial of paregolic or
audanum.
Now, this law would affect more par
icularly the poor and working class, who
ire hardly able to buy necessary medicines
much less being able to pay a doctor 81 or
IS In order to be able to buy cents worth
II paregoric; and you would hear the great
st howl from this class OF people that you
;an imagine. and very properly, too and
We are sure the doctors would not want
his. While we are always willing and
desire to obey the doctors orders in fill
ing prescriptions, We are unwilling and
must protest against any law being passed
which will be injurious to the drug busi-
ness, and we can see no benefit 10 the pub
lie, but hard law for the poor.
II any doctor In writing a prescription
desires that ii shall not be repeated, let him
state that on the prescription, and we are
sure that any druggist OF standing will
,bey the request, but no legislation is ne
.essary on that, especially bills framed by
NJ. D., and we are quite sure without be-
ing certain that this matter has been de-
,ided In the courts OF other States that
once a doctor prescribes for person and
receives his pay, the prescription is bought
BY the patient, and be can have 1t repeated
as many times as he chooses to without
the doctor, he (the doctor) losing
all control over II
We do not hesitate 10 say that con-
scicntious and reliable apothecary is as
guardful OF the welfare OF his patrons as
the physician Of his patients, which is his
duty to the public-in fact, he
stands between the physician and the pa
tient. Should the doctor. from some cause
or other, make a.. error In writing his pre-.
scnption, when 1t reaches the educated