The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-05-05
THE DRUGGISTS PROFITS.
He Really Feels Poor If They Fall Be
low 500 Per Cent.
From the Chicago Herald.

From the Chicago Herald
Five grains of fannie acid in four
ounces of distilled water" demanded one of
the Herald readers of a corner druggist the
other day. The customer, who had occa-
sion TO use the astringent wash called for,
had brought his own bottle along.
How much'" he asked after the solution
had been put up.
twenty-five cents" said the druggist.
unblushingly. The customer stood dunn
founded for q moment, then he paid, won't
out and took his lunch at a dairy shop in
stead of Charlie Kern's place This was
necessary because his wife keeps tab on his
pocket money and Liebotshaner beer is 10
cents glass.
Retail druggists pay 80 cents per ounce
for fannie acid and 40 cents per gallon for
distilled water, as they don't make the latter
themselves Hence the ingredients asked
for cost the soda-fountain man 5-16 cents
Il cent Tor the water and the balance for
the constituent part of the solution. In
charging % cents the druggist made frac-
ton over ]. 800 per cent. profit, which beats
the plumber. The chances are that if the
customer had presented physicians pre-
scription instead of the verbal order he
would have been chared so cents, 25 per
cent. of which would have gone to the pre-
scribing doctor at the monthly settlement.
This little incident explains why down
town druggists can afford to pay such ex-
orbitant rents are asked for locations
like those on the corners of Madison and
State and Madison and Clark streets. The
latter stand, upon lease now about OK
pired, cost $4,000, the former Stand-a
room 29xlG feet-not less than $4,000
There are many remedies asked for by
suffering humanity and paid for at rate
that would make pawnbroker, with his
lSt.xr1 s..,V,N e
green with envy. Chemicals are sold at
apothecaries' weight-one pound of twelve
ounces, the ounce to eight drachms; the
drachm to three scruples, and a scruple to
twenty grains. Hence there are ). 100 grains
in pound The reader is perhaps aware
of the beneficial effects Of bromide of potas-
sum- he is apt to call ut his druggists
the morning after session for Il dose of
bromide "in hisn." He is charged %
cents-by the way, there seems to be moth
ing cheaper than a quarter in drug store
of which amount 10 cents is for the bromide
and 10 cents for the benzine The ret all
druggist pays 20 cents for a pound of bro
mide, honce 10 cents for the usual dose
three grains--means moro than 900 Der
cent. profit for the druggist, the cost TO the
latter for three grains being not quito l. Is
part Of a cent
The sober mans stomach may "get out
of gear" as well as the topers. He is apt TO
call for n quinine pill or two. These pills
are usually purchased read made by the
druggist. They arc sugar-coated and gen
orally Of grain apiece. The retail drug.
gist would pay about 75c. per ounce for
quinine: the wholesale manufacturer has il
for about half that price. The pills retail
at tine rate of lc. apiece, but many drug
gists charge twice that amount. The ave
rage dose is three grains, for which 'l0c j,
charged. Five grains wouldn't cost any
more, but many people hesitate 10 take that
much lat a lick" Now, 10c. for thre'
grains means nearly 500 per cent. Verify
the plumber could learn from the druggist