The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-04-10
A Run on Blue Pills.

-"Gimme good big dose of mercury"
said q traveller, dropping his valise on
she counter of Chestnut Street drug
store last night.
''How much, five or six grains?" in
suired the clerk.
'.Do you call that a doSe?"
T sYes." {,
''Well, then, give me about double
that quantity"
But interposed the pill COM
FOUNDER.
Young man." interrupted the bill
ious traveller, "I don't want your ad
vice. I've got to bolt this pill, AID
want it big enough to do its work. +"
Very well" answered the clerk,
and he brought a five grain pill.
How many grains" asked the
traveller, eyeing the mercurial morSel.
Twelve and half" replie3- the
clerk, unhesitatingly, as he filed
tumbler with water.
The travellers face assumed a martyr
like expression. He threw his head
back, fixed his eyes on the ceiling,
opened his mouth and cast the pill into
the cavern. Then he washed it down
with water, paid ten cents TO the clerk,
grabbed his valise and departed.
DO you have many such callers?"
inquired the reporter.
"Well, should say so. Why, you've
no idea how many people have q mania
for taking pills. We have customers
that come here regularly once week
and take pill or two. We sell more
pills between nine o'clock at night and
two in the morning than we do all day.
About this time of the year we have a
run on blue pills. Men who take cathar-
tics all winter get it into their heads
that they become bilious in the spring
and must doctor their livers with mer-
curry. There's hotel clerk who comes
here regularly once week in March
and each time swallows dose of mer-
curry.
''Another man drops in here every
other night and bolts a single cathartic
pill each trip. / said to him the other
night, why don't you buy a box OF
those pills and take them home with
you?' NO he replied, if l did that
every one about the house would think
I was breaking down, and he took the
pill and went away. He'll be here to-
morrow night between nine and ten
o'clock. o. he's taken so many pills
that he don't seem to mind swallowing
them. Most people, however, never
grow to like pills. Last night man
and woman came in and asked fOr
two sugar-coated quinine pills. | put
them in a box. and he said: Never mind
the box, We'll take them here He
swallowed one and she dropped the
other into half a tumblerful of water
and drank it. The water went down al
right, but the pill remained in heI
mouth. and she chewed it up, and with
awful grimaces swallowed the bitter
particles. Women and children invari-
ably chew pills before swallowing them
"A man dropped in the other even
ing and asked for castor oil in gelatine
capsules. He took three capsules from
the box, sat down in that chair, called
for glass of soda-water, and put tht
globules into his mouth, but was unable
to get them down without chewing
them. Yes, it made him,very sick, bu
ne Strengthened up on some soda-watel
and two cathartic pills.
"Most people take water with thel
pills, but there are many who insist OF
having lemon juice, or honey, or candy
or sugar, or coffee, or beef tea to tax,
the favor of the pellets out of thei
mouths If man would Just walk IL
and get his pill, swallow it without feel
ing and examining sad thinking of it
they would not make as many wr.
faces as they do. / have seen a maj
tumble and fool with a pill for tel
minutes before he mustered up courage
enough to put it in his mouth. No, i
isn't pleasant to look at the face of ;
man who is struggling with pill in hi
throat"
A mild-looking old man entered ant
interrupted the conversation. 'Rhu
barb pill" said the newcomer. As i
was handed to him he said: ''NOw
spoonful of honey The honey wa
brought in a measuring glass. Into
the old man dropped the pill and swal
lowed the mess with shudder.
"He comes here every few DAYS, eX
-plained the clerk, rs the O.d man Wen
out. L never saw him take any bu
rhubarb pills. he told me he had beel
taking { EN- for twelve years. Ever.
now and then there will be a great rui
on some pill made according toa phy
sicians prescriptions Last year W.
had a pill of that kind for rheumatism
and neuralgia, and after they became
known we sold from one to two hun
dred n dav. Fifteen Years ago old DIR
Gross compounded liver pill that madt
great deal of money for an Eleventh ;
Street druggist who had the prescrip
ton. and hundreds of people still bu,
these pills at the same place. Ever.
prominent physician at one time o
another prescribed pills that EecOm
popular with ailing people.
II cannot say exa, tly, but | think w
average forty pill takers in this stor
every night. Yes. drop in some nigh
between eleven and twelve o'clock ant
YOU will see me dealing out pills by tn
! dozen. Business is 4 triie dull thi
evening.-Philadelphia Times.
The Wrong Leg.
sGT Daaf NV CON Gbala In dor chtnr