The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-05-11
PROFIT IN DRUGS.
Some Facts About the
Apothecary's Business.
The Extensive Use of Patent Medicines,
Quinine, and Opium.

dreds of millions of dollars in capital,
and affords thousands upon thousands of
people a means of making an honest live
ihood. With the view of learning some
thing of the inside mysteries of a trade
of such Importance, a reporter for the
New York Mail and Express visited a
large drug store. The man of drugs was
busily engaged in filling a prescription.
When he was at leisure he said in on
swer to the reporters query:
'tNow there is a compound that is
composed of exactly four ingredients.
One of these ingredients costs at whole
sale exactly two cents, the second one
cent, the third two cents and tho fourth
three cents, making q total of eight
cents"
Glow much will you charge your Gus
toner for that prescription"
"Fifty-fvc cents"
"a handsome proft--just 600 per
cent"
"Oh, yes; but then you see, the GUS
TONER pays torty-seven cents of the fifty
five for my experience as an apothecary.
Men in other professions do the same as
we in this respect. For instance, a ply
stefan will look at your tongue and feel
your pulse, demand q fee of from So to
SIS, according to the length of your purse
and his standing in society. If he is a
heightened or fashionable doctor you
may think yourself fortunate if you cs-
cape without being charged More than SIS.
1t is the same with a lawyer. You visit
his Office, obtain his advice in a simple
matter, and occupy his time for about
fifteen minutes. He wants you to pay
$25 or $50. Now I have performed as
much real service as either the doctor or
the lawyer, and all the compensation I
ask is the small pittance of ffty-ive
cents. We prefer the prescription bust
ness to selling patent medicines, because
the former is the most profitable of the
two branches of our trade"
lis the sale of patent medicines in
creasing or d~eclining?"
81 can reply to that question both in
the affirmative and the negative. Patent
medicines are like garments, they become
fashionable and may go out of fashion.
1t is not always the best medicines that
have the largest sale. A great deal de-
ponds upon the manner in which thcy are
advertised and placed. before the public.
A few years ago q man prepared O pain
.Annihilator. It was a sort of wash that
sdeadened pain temporarily, but it was
not a permanent cure. 1t was, in fact,
injurious for it tended to produce paraly-
us. The proprietor advertised it far and
vide. The name of the so-called RENE
~ appeared in the advertising columns
II all the newspapers. It was seen upon
buildings, fences, and bil-boards, in the
aty and in the country. Turn which
sver way you would it stared you in the
lace. The proprietor made o fortune in a
very short time. His pain annihilator
was known and used in almost every
family. Like the Roman Empire it had
its rise and fall. Now nobody thinks of
using it. In fact it is not even manu-
featured or to be found in the market
"What drugs have the largest sale9"
swell, I may include in the list auin-
inc, the various preparations of opium,
calomel, arsenic, valerian, lavender and
well I don't think you wish me to go
through the entire catalogue"
"Tel me something about quinine9"
"Pills containing two grains of quinine
sell at $3.50 to $500 per bottle of one
hundred pills. The prevalence of mala-
ria in almost all sections of the country
during the past few years has caused an
immense consumption of this drug. 1t
has also afforded spectators a chance to
make money by forcing the price up, and
they have not been slow in availing them
selves of the opportunity"
''By whom is opium mainly bought"
'By people of all classes. You would
be greatly surprised if I should show YOU
q list of my customers who are in the
habit of purchasing this drug. I do not
mean those for whom it is prescribed by
physicians, but those who use it as reeu-
larly as they would tobacco. These
slaves OF the opium habit comprise law
yers, artists, preachers, merchants, and
all kinds of mechanics, tradcsmen and
laborers. Women as well as men are
slaves to opium"
DO druggists as a rule become
wealthy"
'No. There are too many in the bust
ness. If the number of drlo stores could