New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-07-20
TOO MANY DRUGSTORES.
A PHYSICIANS COMMENTS or DRUGGISTS MIS-
TAKEs-How IT IS POSSIBLE TO PRE-
VENT THE VI.

Such an occurrence as that IN Broolvn rcccntlv.'
said well known physician, ought 70 teach lesson
to both doctors aid druggists. ancc T. tic al gel
mistake Of a druggists clerk and the death Of
patient as IS supposed. from poisoning. j IS nm
doubtedly true that there IS Great deal Of careless
ness in the compromising OF prescriptions. In one OF
the best drugstorcs that an familiar with thor' I,
regular system which makes mistakes practically i'm
possible. clerks EMPLOY - in the prescription
department, and they have nothing else t. d. ono
acts a check upon the other. When q pre- crption
handed In, OF them gets down from the shelves
all once. all the drugs called for. the other calling
them of from the prescription and checking each one
Then after the proper quantities have te.n weighed
measured ont. so. pats the various bottles etc,
back In their places, while No. 1 checks them OF on
the prescription.
But we have in all our cities a multitude Of small
dug>torrs, and such system would be- too expensive
to be adopted in all Of them. Now, Just how the
liability 10 mistakes arises The propretOr. say tin
only person in the stOrc-bchud the counter, nell-
and he i, engaged in preparing a prescription. :
customer enters 10 buy glass Of soda wafer .r
postage stamp, or cake Of soap, or any one O
the multitude OF articles known "a druggists san
dries. II some one does not come out IN, antly TO
iaps the counter with Ia" coin whcH ne hO.d, IN
his hand. This Of cO.r,c, . calcuIicd 10 maize the
avoided when such delicate Worh Lr is engaged in
is ia pgOgress-and, fearing 10 lose sal: OF SOMETHING
!
ward to attend 10 the customer. When he soca back
to the prescription there D., likelihood, Uni.,. BE- b
\ a wonderfully careful and methOdloal man. mat nc
may have forgotten The last ingredient pat IL. 80
TO make certain, he puts ~ some more, or else he
may overlook something entirely.
! IL have known tins thing 10 happen more than
Once-nany times, In fact-and have come 70 believe
| I'm the German method Of dealing with drugstore.
| They do not, In their cities, permit man 10 open
such d store Oh any where he may choose 10
! locate. They only allow one drugstore to certain
number of Inhabitants, and the people arc compelled
TO 20 10 IT, even little Inconvenience - them
selves in order 10 get what they desire. Ihcn top'
the druggist has 10 be chemist, ana nothing else
brushes and toilet articles generally not 10 mention
stationery valentines and things Of that kind wlt
are staple articles American drIgStOcs. lie deals
i'm drugs. and drugs only, and persons who want the"
them Consequently Tn" druggists attention j. never
distracted from the business TO which e l. supposed
10 give his attention There could uc good deal said
in favor Of establishing such system here. Though
| | don't expect : IL done In my lifetime.
Now, a. for the doctors. IL IS unqucsuOnasly
true that their handwriting IS often not what 1t ought
10 be- Most prescriptions are written with pencil
and not often does physician Ill down al a table
to do his writing. Generally he scratches OF pre-
scriptiou on his knee. And, writing the tn a
hundred. Of times he is very apt 10 write c1iclr- "
So that the prescription goes 10 druggist WHO },
not familiar with his chrOgraphy. IL may be lni'rcld
several | have been called 10 the telephone bi
druggists who were in doubt a. 10 what meant by
| certain scraHI aud who wisely preferred - 90 Ia
that trouble in order 10 prevent the chance ~ an
error. IN the Of the Brooklyn prescription the
chance Of a mistake depended on single lctcr-H
the difference between 'ly0ocauln' ana ny 0~c ia ma
original should have been allowed 20 remain in the
hands OF the accused clerk, lawyer. since, IL
probably written with pencil It could easily nave
been tempered with, TO the injury Of the ply sican'