The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-02-14
QUEER AND COSTLY DRUGS.
A White Powder Worth $500 an Ounce
Rattlesnake Virus as an Opiate.

White Powder Worth $500 an Ounce
Rattlesnake Virus as an Opiate.
New York sun.
A doctor from one of the Western cities. who
has wide practice as on ocuist and aurist. en-
tered drug store the other day and purchased
small bottle of cocaine, the new an@sthetic
used with such success in eye operations. tie
said he had prescribed it for diseased ear. The
tiny bottle, half full of whtish powder, cost him
So
Provincial physicians in this country are
very enterprsing, said the druggist. when the
doctor had gone out. |They have already be-
gun the use of cocaine in all sections of the
! country a1d it is to many druggists profitable
drug. because they can charge a fancy price for
it. quote it at over $500 an ounce"
"A well-stocked drug store must be supplied
with great variety of medicines now if its
proprietor fills Prescriptions for all schools" con-
tinued the druggist ''One day we had call
from homeopathic physician for rattlesnake
virus. The doctor had been called in to
see patient who was soon to die of cancer and
| and who had taken ordinary opiates until they
seemed to have but little effect We did not
have the medicine but the next time saw the
doctor he said that he had obtained it. and that
twenty minutes after taking very low dilution
of the virus the sufferer sank into sweet sleep
| The olden days, when all sorts of insects and
animals were used IN medicine, were fruitful OF
| some beneficial discoveries The poison OF a
bee, when applied externally by a bee, is not
particularly beneficial; but know doctor who
claims wonders for it in cases Of scarlet fever.
The beaver furnishes a remedy known as
castor, used TO quiet spasms. and the musk OK
| provides musk. 1t comes in the form OF u
coarse black powder. and the best of it is quoted
at $40 an ouCce. We sell considerable quanti-
ties Of it to the Chinese. who are said to use it
for burns. 1t is believed that the Chinese have
a knowledge of many valuable remedies which
would benefit science. but, although
we have been able to purchase
some of their mysterious looking drugs as Gu
riosities, they have refused to impart the secret
of their properties. Some idea Of their notions
with respect to medicine can be gained when it is
learned that they regard wild ginseng root as
sacred to the healing of royalty, and as spirit
ual body, capable Of yolition and of coucealing
itself to escape capture It's guardians are the
tiger, wolf, leopard and snake. When member
of the royal family falls sick as did the Emprese
some time ago, a party OF heroic men go in
search of the root whose presence is finally re-
vea.ed at night by halo over the spot Of con-
cealment which is marked. the root being dug
on the following day. The cultivated ginseng,
jen sheng. is not believed by the natives to be
endowed with the properties of the wild, but is
used freely by the subjects. 1t is believed that
it's chief value lies in its wonderful recuperating
power. proongs life when patient has begun to
sink into his last sleep, and in giving him time
arrange his affairs
In mentioning animal products as drugs
| should perhaps have spoken of ambergris, de-
| post of grayish matter, which is found oc-
casionaliy in the head of sperm whale. 1t sells
often for $50 an ounce at retail 1t is said that
one whaler found deposit CT $50 pounds in a
single whale.
| among the expensive drugs is ergotin. which
retails at the rate of about $40 an ounce. 1t is a
fangous growth found on rye in Normandy. A
similar growth on rye in America contains very
little ergotin. less indeed, than the smut on In
dian corn. AS there are several growths which
yield ergotin in greater less degree so there
are several South American plants that produce
| jaborandi. the drug now used sometimes to pro-
duce sweating.
'an the list of expensive drugs the products Of
| the Calabar bean may be mentioned. Physos-
| tigmine which is rated by many as the best
remedy in spasmodic affections, retails at over
5000 an ounce Apomorphine, while not to be
compared with the drugs that have mentioned
is expensive. 1t was discovered by man named
Wright, who subjected morphine to a treatment
that entirely changed It's chemical qualities, so
that instead of being an opiate it is one of the
most powerful emetics known. and is given only
in extreme cases. like poisoning. AS l said at
the outset, an enterprising druggist has to keen
| an extensive variety OF medicines, the cheapest
as we'll as the most expensive Pumpkin seeds
are frequently sold q remedy for tapeworm
and with the male fern as vermifuge. A doctor
came in here the other day and called for some
everlasting life. Singular thing for doctor to
prescribe, wasn't it9 In medicine 1t is North
American plant. Jobs tears is another queer
remedy"