Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-06-10

Brooklyn Physicians who Mix Their
Own Medicines and DenOunee ApOthe.
carries.

New York Correspondence Baltimore American.
A medical revolution is under way in Brook
lyn. The physicians have cOunter-moved
against the apothecaries. The allopaths have
been angered by the druggists practice Of pre-
scribing remedies, either after the regular man.
ner OF doctors, or by recommending patent
medicines. The appearance is that, although
the physicians do not say so, the proprietary
medicine business is what they really wish to
fight. This is no worse in Brooklyn than any
where else, probably: but it must be a serious
matter to the profession throughout the United
states. Every ailment known to humanity is
mated with a SPECIFIC of more or less cheapneSS
and palatability, and these are war
ranted to cure unfalingly, which is
rather more than the doctors will prom
Use. The Brooklyn druggists. moreover
are underselling one another with such enter
prise and recklessness that bottles labelled a
The subject was discussed by the county medi-
cal society, and it was decided to be entirely
sonally provide the remedies prescribed,
though separate charges for the medicines
were discountenanced. Many of the most
prosperous of the physians have nov actively
brings from his carriage into your house
an morocco % + case or handbag after the
OF writing out hieroglyphc prescrip-
ton, he opens his stock of drugs and mikes the
THAT will save you the trouble of sending out
to some swindling apothecaTy, who would be
quite as likely to give you wrong or worthless
stuff TO poison you as not. 1t will also save
seventy-five cents or dollar, for shall not
charge anything extra. The average prescrip-
ton does not cost more than five or ten cents
to compound
The druggists retort upon the doctors that
their charges for visits are eXtortiOnately high,
and that, in order to postpone the inevitable
reduction, they have resOrted to the device of
throwing in the medicine gratis. The accusa-
ton is also made that the allopaths are being
crowded by the homeopaths. and are adopting,
In a craven manner, the very methods of the
schools which they affect to despise. The
threat is made that the subject shall be sub
mitted to the State Medical society, which will
be asked to forbid the doctors to supply medi-
cines except through prescriptions.
1.-The druggists prices for prescriptions have
always been ridiculously high" says a lead
ing doctor. "Their profits on this branch of
their business has been estimated at two to
three hundred per cent, even when rent and
clerk hire are subtracted. They advertise their
stores by selling patent medicines at cost, and
then make their money on the compromising of
prescriptions. The best practitioners OF Brooklyn
have now agreed to carry their own drugs. The
use of concentrated remedies favors the move
ment. We expect that the custom will become
general-in fact, that we shall revOutioniZe the
business, for after people have once got accuS-
toned to taking their medicines directly from
their doctors they will never return to the old
way of buying at the druggists
The druggists will ask the manufacturers and
wholesalers of drugs to refuse to sell to others
than dealers, and a paper to that effect is
already in circulation for signatures.