Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-07
READY DRUGS.
Their Use Being Protested Against by
a Druggists Association.
GROUNDS GIVEN FOR COMPLAINT.
Proprietary Medicines Said to be Pre-
scribed for Patients
AT HIGHER COST THAN OTHER DRUGS

Local physicians have had their attention
recently called to an important matter
which is interesting the medical profession
throughout the country. 1t is in regard to
the following resolution, presented by the
Tennessee State Druggists Association to
the American Medical Society:
'The Tennessee State Druggists Associa-
ton has delegated us to present to your hon
orable body question, the Importance OF
which to your profession, as well as ours,
can hardly be overestimated, and we place
it before you with the hope that 1t may re-
ceive at your hands the weight it merits.
Resolved, That a committee OF three De
appointed to lay before the American Medi-
cal Association the great and growing evil
of prescribing secret and proprietary prep
arations by many members of the medical
profession; that many of such preparations
are glaring frauds, the formula often stated
on the labels are misleading, If not nc
titious, and that all such preparations
should be classed as secret, proprietary or
patent medicines, and tnat the American
Medical Association be- petitioned to de-
clare it against its code oil ethics for any
member Of that body to prescribe any such
prepara tion; that the association be re-
quested in every possible way
TO DISCOURAGE THEIR USE,
az in prescribing these nostrums the medi-
cal practitioner Is really playing into the
hands OF quackery, thus teaching his pa
tient to dose himself and that the use of
such nostrum is utterly unscientifc and
unbecomirg profession striving after ex-
act methods, is unworthy our age, and
against the best interest alike OF the profess
sions of medicine and pharmacy, as well as
their patients and patrons"
Following these resolutions are some
words in explanation, signed by Messrs. A.
A. Yesger, Stacey Lord and A. A. Klein
schmidt.
1.-The committee speaks of listerine, very
popular proprietary remedy" said DR..
William S. Huselton, member Of the
American Medical Association, when asked
in regard to the matter. "and shows that
physicians could prescribe something else
that would answer the same purpose and not
cost nearly as much. 1t claims that the
labels on various preparations boldly lie to
the physicians, and the actual formul@ do
not contain the healing propensities that
would apply to the cases in hand. These
proprietary medicines are certain prepara-
tions put up by manufacturers, and are in
troduced by sending samples to the doctors
loaded down with them"
Here the doctors pointed out q number
of bottles of all sizes in his case.
"You see, many are unopened. There
are numerous physicians who prescribe the
preparations condemned by the Tennessee
druggists. find no use for that line Of
goods, because 1 believe doctor should
know exactly what he doses patient with.
I cannot say as yet what the American
Association will do in regard to the matter"
MUST KEEP THEM IN STOCK.
Mr.. E. Holden, the Allegheny druggist,
was interviewed, and said: las long as
many of the medical profession continue to
prescribs ready made remedies we must
keep them In stock. Houses in st. Louis
and other places are building up big
business through this practice, but if the
physicians prescribed the different proper
ties of these preparations in full, instead OF
calling for the patent remedy, we could put
up the prescription at much less cost to the
public than the prices we are compelled to
ask when selling the proprietary goods"
Mr.. r. E. Byers. the Market street drug
gist, observed: 1.-THE medical profession
scored us for interfering with their practice
by selling well-known patent medicines to
the people. Now they turn around and de-
scrptions by ordering ready-made prepsra-
tions, which cost the public more on &C.
count OF having to 90 through SO many
hands. think it would be better all around
if the physicians prescribed their own pre-
parations instead of depending on medicines
that contain certain properties of which they
frequently know nothing, but simply accept
their curative qualities on the recommends
tions of the manufacturers.