Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1885-03-14
QUEER AND COSTLY DRUGS.
A White Powder Worth SEQ an Ounce
-lsattl snake Virus az An Oplate.

"A "HIle 1C"uPr worth 4SUU an Juno
-lsattl> snake Virus az An Opiate
A doctor from one of the western
cities. who has Il wide practice as an
oculist and aurist, entered a drug
store the other day and purchased a
small bottle OF cocaine, the new anes-
thetic used with such success in eve
operations. He said he had prescribed
it for a diseased ear. The tinv bottle
half full of whitish powder cost him SIS.
provincial physicians in this coun-
try are very enterprising,' said the
druggist whom the doctor had gone out.
They have begun the use Of cocaine
in all sections OF the country, and it is
to many druggists a profitable drug,
because they can charge Il fancy pr.ce
for it. l quote it at over $500 an ounce.
"A well-stocked drug store must be
supplied with a great variety of me,i-
cines now if its proprietor fills pre-
scriptions of all schoo:>,'' continued
the druggist ''One day wo had d cali
from a homeopathic physician for rat
tlesnake virus. The doctor had been
called in to see a patient who was soon
to die Of cancer and who had taken or
binary opiates until they seemed to
have but little effect We did not have
the medicine, but the next time l saw
the doctor he said that he had obtained
it, and that twenty minutes after TAX
ing a very low diIulion of the virus the
sufferer sank into i sweet sleep. The
clden days, when all sorts OF insects
and animals were used in medicine,
were fruitful of some beneficial dis
coveries. The poison of a bee, when
applied externally by q bee, is not ar
'icuIarly beneficial; but l know a doc
tor VIC claims wonders for it in cases
OF scarlet lever.
''Tne beaver furnishes q remedy
known as castor, used to gu OF spasms,
and the musk-ox provides musk. 1t
Comes in the form of u black powder,
anl the best of it is quoted at about
$40 an ounce. We sell considerable
quantities OF it to the Chinese, who are
sad to use it for burns. 1t is believed
that the Cn nese nave a knowledge of
manv valuable rome lies watch won Il
benefit science, but, although we have
been a"!e to Purchase some of their
MISUNDERSTANDING dru IS us %curioslties,
inry nave refused to impair; the secret
OF llcir properties. Some idea OF their
Eo:loaS W!tn respect to medicine can
D" gained wHcn it Is knowa that tney
r"-a:d t:c wild ysn.scas-root "a sacred
to Inc healing Of royalty, and us Il
spiritual 10 ~, clDaDlc OF vOllllOn and
: OF ~c"!lcrl.!ug !t,n.t to escape capture.
! IL Su,IruI!na are the tiger. vol, Loop
AID and snake. When II mrmbcr OF the
. royal family lAlls sick, as did the III
press some time ago. u party of heroic
McI 90 in searcn OF the root. whose
presence is finally revealed 1T night bv
Il nAiO over tao spot Of conCea.ment,
WliIcn Is marked, the root being dug
ON the following day. The cultivated
ginseng, or jcn snen, is not believed by
the natives to BIZ endowed with the
| properties OF the wild, but is used free
~ by the subjects. 1t is believed that
its chief value lies in its wonderful re-
cupcratlng power, prolonging lilc
when a patient has begun to SINK into
hi, last sleep, and in giving hilA time TO
arrange his affairs.
Among the expensive drugs is ergo
tin, which rc,ails at the rate Of about
$50 IN ounce. 1t is u fungus growth
found on rye in Normandy. A SIMILAR
growth on rye in America contains
very little crgntin. less, indeed, than
The smut on Indian corn. As there are
several Erowths wh:th yield eryotiu in
Il greater or less degree, SO there are
several South American plants that
produce jaborandi. the drug now used
sometimes to produce sweating.
"ln the list OF expensive drugs the
products of the Calabar bean may be
mentioned. Pny>osti5luine, which is
rated by many as the best remedy in
Spa>mouic affections, re,ails at over
goo an ounce. Apnmnrphine, while not
tn be compared with the drugs that
have mentioned. is expensive. 1t was
discovered by Il man named Wright,
who subjected morphine to q treat
mcnt that entirely changed its chclui-
cal qualities, so that instead of being
all op,ate it is one of the most powerful
emetics known. and is given only in
extreme cases, like poisoning. As
said at the outset, an cnterprising
druggist has to keep an extensive va
riety of medicines, the cheapest as we'll
as the most expensive. Pumpkin seeds
are frequently sold as a remedy for
tapcworm, and with the male fern as 4
,crmitugc. 4 doctor cane in here tic
other day and cullel for some evcrlaSt-
mr. life. Singular thing Tor a doctor
To prescribe, wasn't 1t! IN medicine II
IS i North American plant Bob's
ears is another queer rcmody."-Acw
lOrk tar.