Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-08-05
STIMgLANTS AS MEDICINE
PHYSICIANS PRIVILEGED BY
THE PROHIBITION BILL.

THE PROHIBITION BILL.
Indis eliminate Prescription OF Alcoholic
Liquors to be Punishable as "A Misde-
meanOr-HIgh Authorities in the Pro
fessiOn Demand that the Use of Liquors
be Allowed.
ATLANTA, Aug. An the Senate this
morning consideration Of the local option
bill was resumed. At the hour of adj
/ journment, Friday, there was pending an
amendment offered by Mr.. Davidson pro-
Viding that physicians may prescribe
proper stimulants and that druggists may
I'LL such prescriptions.
Upon further consideration of the pend
ing amendment this morning, Dir. David
son stated that he had the opinion OF the
! President of the American Medical AS
sociation and the President Of the Medi-
cal Association OF Georgia on the value
| of alcoholic stimulants in medical prac-
| tice. He sent to the Secretary desk and
had read letters from Or. Eugene Foster,
! Of Augusta, President Of the Medical
/ Association of Georgia, and DR.. Henry
| +. Campbell, OF Augusta, President OF the
! American Medical Association.
ITS VALUE IN MEDICINE.
Both announced that they are pro-
! nounced temperance men and prohibit
! tiOnists, but the effort to prevent the use
| OF alcoholic stimulants in the practice Of
! medicine would drive them, and hundreds
! OF others, from the cause of prohibition.
/ They asserted that the use of alcoholic
/ stimulants in medicine is necessary, that
1t is Of Indispensable value, and that there
! ls absolutely no adequate substitute
! known.
| Mr.. NOrthen opposed the adoption Of
the amendment. He recognized the pro-
| fessional skill of Drs. Foster and Camp
| bell and their high standing in the profess
sion, but he took strong grounds against
/ the opinions advanced by them. Mr,
| Northern admitted that he knew nothing
whatever of medical science himself but
| cOntended that there is skill enough in the
medical fraternity to provide an adequate
substitute for whisky in practice.
WHAT THE EFFECT WOULD BE.
! Heretofore there has been no necessity
! for a substitute, as whisky was at hand.
! He thought that the adoption of the
amendment would practically deprive the
| bill of its usefulness and open the flood
gates again all over the state for this evil
| through the drug stores. He claimed
/ that these prescriptions would be given
/ promiscu0usiy and fraudulently in eva
/ sion OF the law, and so make prohibition
/ a failure.
/ Mr.. Allen felt it his duty to rise in behalf
! OF the liquor men and protest against the
/ transfer Of their business to drug stores.
| If we are to have bar rooms, it is better to
have them az they now are than TO have
| them in drug stores.
MINORS WOULD HAVE FULL SWING.
AT present it is unlawfulfor barkeepers
to sell liquor to minors. Where is law
that makes it illegal for physicians to
! prescribe liquor to minOrsf He thought
| that there would be no difficulty IN a case
/ OF emergency to send out in any COM
munity and get brandy for medicinal
use. There's nothing in the bill to pre-
vent man from converting his fruit into
/ brandy, and if necessary a physician
! could have his fruit converted into brandy
to be used in his practice. He thought
! that one licensed drug store in COM
munity would be greater evil than two
stills.
RESTRICTING THE DOCTORS.
Mr.. Lewis proposed to amend by pro-
( viding that any physician who shall pre-
E scribe any Of the articles named except in
1 cases Of actual sickness, and any drug
I gist who shall knowingly ard fraudulent
+ y I'LL such prescription when there was
not actual sickness shall be guilty Of
violation of the law and punishable under
section 1910 of the code.
Mr.. Allen asked if such a case should
! be made would not the physician be the
/ chief witness as to whether it was a case
/ OF actual sickness.
Mr.. Lewis replying afflrmatively. Mr..
I Faligant asked II the parties accused
/ could not testify, and under the law the
/ jury could give such weight to that testi-
/ mony as they saw fit.
THE AMENDMENTS ADOPTED,
The amendment offered by Mr. Lewis
! to the amendment offered by Mr. David
/ son was adopted by vote of 10 TO H. The
! vote then required on the amendment
proposed by MIR. Davidson as amended.
On this vote Mr.. Northen called for the
! yeas and nays, which prevailed. The
vote resulted in 10 yeas to u nays, and
/ the amendment was adopted.
Mr.. Bristow moved IN further amend
! section s by inserting instead of ''pure
alcohop 'pure spirits" In support of
the amendment MIR. BrIstow said that he
was opposed TO the section as IL had been
amended, but il 1t must pass he desired
to provide for the pure article, if II was
TO be used at all.
The amendment was adopted without
discussion.
MIR. ALLEN MEETS A REVERSE.
Mr.. Allen moved to amend section by
requiring physicians giving a prescrip-
ton 70 state the nature of the disease and
that there is 10 other known remedy ex-
cept the stimulant prescribed. This was
lost by a vote OF - yeas to % nays.
MIR. Maddox moved to amend section Q
by providing that no election shall be
held in counties having prohibition until
the expiration OF two years. This was
adopted.
Mr.. Thornton moved TO strike out the
section and insert "that the pro-
visions of this act shall apply alike to all
counties of the State" Pending discus
sion of this amendment the Senate ad-
journed.
IN THE HOUSE.
The House had for consideration to-day
the substitute OF the special committee
for Mr.. FeitOn's refOrmatory bill. The eu-
tire session was devoted 10 discussion OF
the bill, and no definite action was taken
upon any portion OF it,
AVENCJNC NVLIJRONs.