Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-03-05
TRICKS IN DRUGS.
A Druggist Reveals Some Very Interesting
Trade Secrets.

49,
A Druggist Reveals Some Very Interesting
Trade Secrets.
"Do you know that lady who justleft
the store?" said the proprietor of one
of our elegant drug stores last evening
as a reporter lit his cigar.
"Ihavc seen her, but [ do not know
her name"
''That lady has one secret known only
to herself, her maid and me. Not even
my clerks know it. She has been prom
inent in society here for some years.
Seven years ago she came from New
York, and has resided ever since in one
or another Of our leading hotels. Prior
to her coming she had bleached her
hair, and during all these seven years
she has purchased her ~favorite French
preparation at my store. Allher friends
here believe she is q blonde. Every
week, us her hair grows out, her maid
renews the application"
81 suppose your customers for that
they were some years ago?"
81 think they are So"
"What class of ladies purchase their
hair preparations?'
''Single ladies mostly. Shop girls
and copyists arc our chief customers"
"But is it not eXpensive?"
cit sells for about two dollars and
fifty cents per bottle of four ounces. 1t:
requires from one to four bottles to
convert a head of black or brown hair
into Il blonde, depending on the depth
of black. After this a weekly applica-
ton is made,'
"The original transformation, then,
costs from three to ten dollars?"
'Yes, and the girls who use it most
must frequently starve themselves in
order to save enough money to pur-
chase the preparations. 1t takes about
two weeks to make the change in the
first place."
"Is the use of it injurious?'
''Itis injurious to the hair and scalp
alike"
"Why do the girls use the prepar-
a%tion?"
II a answer that by asking you
why you like blondes better than bru-
nettes."
Because [ don't"
Most people do. At any rate, the
ladies think men like blondes better.
They think they look prettier with
blonde hair than with black. I do
not mean that all ladies have that
freak
"You call this a French preparation.
Are there no American goods of this
~character?"
"We never undertook to sell but one
brand of American goods. 1t was a
failure, and was afterwards discovered
to be good for sore throat. 1t is now
used for that disease"
"But. say! want to tell you some
thing. l learned a secret to-day about
opium. There is one man in this city
who grinds opium for all the wholesale
druggists of the city. He told me to-
day that nearly half his customers
adultcrate the drug. One man takes
seven pounds of %licorice with every ter
pounds of opium. Others make
mixture of four pounds Of licorice ane
ten of opium. Then, you know, Their
are many grades Of opium, anyway
One brand costs sixteen dollars pc
pound, while others cost four dollar
per pound. 1t is unnecessary to sa;
that many druggists use the four-dolla
goods"
''Well, have you any more drug rev
Citations to make?"
Eyes, 1 could talk all night if yor
would listen, and you would find ou'
that our trade has tricks as well III
others. W. don't often tell each Others
games, though. Nearly every prcscrip-
ton contains 'Squibbs' ergot.' Every
body thinks he gets that manufacture.
[ can tell you that no ten druggists il
the city have Squibbs' ergot. They
have other makes that cost Just about
half as much. 1t is a matter of gray.
Importance, very often, too. Of course,
cheap manufactures have not the
strength and consequently not the
effect"
Anything clsey
"When a prescription is sent to 9
druggist calling for a four per cent.
solution of cocaine it generally gets bu.
two per cent. A prescription contain.
ing quininc often gets c%inchonida in.
stead. The latter is much cheaper, but
is a different drug. Then there i:
another drug used by a class of people,
Oil of sandalwood is purchased much
in all large cities. A genuine article
costs eighteen dollars per pound. ]
am positive there is not a store
in the city that has q half pound Of
pure oil. That commonly used is
about twenty per cent. pure. Th.
balance is olive oil. Dyes, there is
much trickery in the drug business
--CNicago San.