Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1894-04-11
HORE VALUABLE THAN GOLD,
'ome Drugs Cost over Their Weight ir
the Yellow Metal

Some months ago, at an exhibition
Of the American Public Health Asso,
citation in Brooklyn, one manufactur.
Ing chemist handed in medicines the
total value OF which amounted to
some $50, 900. The most costly drug
in the collection was that labeled
Hon -atropine hydrobromate, cryst. "
In all six pounds of 1t were contained
in single lar, and the price thereof
was 81, 600, or 81, 100 per pound.
This expensive remedy is an alkaloid,
artidcially prepared from atropine, a
preparation of belladonna.
Another costly medicine shown was
an aconite alkaloid in the form of an
amorphous powder, prepared from
aconitum napelius Three pounds o.
this was valued at S4se.5O. a three
and one-quarter ounce bottle of
anemonia was priced s191.45. OF
caffeine there were thirteen different
preparations in small bottles, rang
ing in price from SIS to S2S bottle
A small vial Of letter wart prepar-
alton called chelidomine alkaloid was
marked SSS. Cocaine is another eX-
pensive medicine, four pounds OF il
being there valued at s42O. A new
form OF cautharidin CRYSTALS was
priced Sl43 small vial.
A nfteen-oInce bottle OF prepara-
tion of mOrk h Ne. called C define phOs-
phate, stood for sI35. Digitalis
Scrmaine, the great heart remedy.
costs about $40 per pound. a five
ounce bottle of "true cOtOin" sells at
$40 an ounce. The outh American
Ind an arrow poison, as prepared in
the form Of CRYSTALS ard used as a
med cine in hydrophObia and lock Jaw,
costs S35 % ounce. \ still more ex-
pcnsive form of crystals named hyo-
seine hydrObrOmate is valued at
81, loo. 66 per ounce Certain other
drugs varied in price all the way from
So to $50 per ounce.
Papaine alkaloid, a vegetable pep
sin obtained from the juice OF the
melon tree in tropical America, sells
tor sl20 pound. a solvent for dip
theric membrane is valued at sl4.57
an ounce. The Calabar bean comes
in for very costly preparations chiefly
used IN diseases of the eye and lock.
jaw One Of these, physostigmiue
alkaloid, is valuci at the sum of
slO9. 35 rer ounce. Another prepara.
tion Of the same costs something over
SSl3 an ounce. A special form OF
nitrate crystal, prepared from the
leaves Of the jarborandi, pilocarpus
pennati folius, and used in consump.
tion, is priced at S37, ounce value.
The list might be indefinitely ex.
tended, for the number of new and
costly drugs is on the daily Increase.
1t would be hard, indeed, to find the
d uggist who is familiar with all of
those now on the market. To pro-
cure anything like accurate knowl-
edge on this point the immense phar-
macoppia Of the United States must
not only be studied, but those also of
Germany and Great Britain, them.
selves vast complications OF scientif.
;ally assorted facts.
Out uf this great number of rene.
dies, however. but few are in actual
use, aud the task Of the practical
pharmacist Is, therefore, not so hope
lessly bewildering as it would seem.
To the cost OF the drugs he mauipu.
lates must, moreover be added a GER
tain per centum Of the cost of his own
training-Iet alone that of the pre-.
scribinG physician. Putting all this
and that together, it would seem
matter of wonder, not that it costs so
much, hut that it costs so little for
the luxury Of being III. .-Pittsburgb
Dispatch.