The Somerset reporter., 1895-11-07
IN THE DRUG STORE.
CHARACTER SKETCHES AT FOUN-
TAIN AND PRESCRIPTION DESK.

Some st. Louis Samples.
The time honored jokes in the funny
papers about people who buy stamps in
IA drug store and want them wrapped up
and delivered may be old to the average
reader but they are new every day to
the drug dispensers. Such ridiculous
things are everyday occurrences.
a we'll known druggist tells of an
instance when he was night clerk in
west end drug store. About one morn
ing vigorous ring at the night bell
reused him from peaceful slumbers. He
came down wearing one shoe, such mis-
cellaneous clothing as he could pick up
i'll hurry and a decidedly cross appear
ance. AT the door was a nicely dressed
lady Would he kindly sell her a stamp:
She had an important letter which she
must mail, and as she also desired TO
catch the 80 train she feared she
would forget it. The stamp was sold to
her, and then very sweetly and inno-
Gently she inquired if he would not,
since she was in such a hurry. walk to
the corner and mail the letter for her.
As he had worn only one shoe down he
declined the honor.
The soda dispenser in the drug store
usually sees and enjoys more peculari-
ties than any Of the drug clerks from
the fact that he is not bothered with
any of their responsibilities. His great
est trouble is i'll deciding whose money
he shall take in the case of young ladies
who drink soda together. If it were
men, each would be anxious to pay for
the beverages. In the case of young la
dies, however, each is apparently anx-
ious not to pay for the drink. Then they
argue with each other ON about this
line: mo, let me pay" Il will not. |
think l should. "Oh, III be awful
angry if you do" And all the while,
says the soda dispenser, they are hang
ing on to their dimes with deathlike
grip. The soda man finally solves the
problem by taking the money of each
and returning the change to each, max
ing it "Cincinnati treat.
The proverbial joke about the man
who winks his eye at the apothecary
when he wants stick in his soda is
not a fiction. Various excuses are made
to get liquor, but the standard and most
usual is a terrible pain in the stomach
or else a threatened chill. The druggist
always suggests Jamaica ginger. This
suggestion is never satisfactory, as it is
iplr ha, A 70 tripl- x.
to ask for a dose Of calisaya, which, to
be thoroughly effective, must be mixed
with whisky.
The "fiends" who make life miserable
to the druggist arc legion. They are
fiends who are addicted to phenacatin,
to bromo seltzer, to quinine, to arsenic,
to strychnine and to morphine. There
are also people who are addicted to the
use Of Wine Of cocoa. The drink contains
IA quantity of cocaine i'll solution and
has "a reyiyifying effect on the system.
There are quinine fiends who take as
much as 100 grains a day Not long
since St. Louis physician prescribed
this drug to patient, ordering it to be
put i'll six powders of 60 grains each.
The patient, a lady, took it all in "a
hours, and, strange to say, got we'll.
There are several people in st, Louis
who are addicted to the use of aromatic
spirits of ammonia and vichy They
drink it with great gusto.
The morphine fiend is a shrewd and
discriminating buyer, One Of the usual
excuses when the tiend is woman is
that the drug is for mamma " Poor
mamma! She has many sins to answer
for Of which she is guiltless. Some of
the fiends can tell the brand of NOR
phine by the taste and will have none
but their fayorite. One hopeless case has
become so expert ON the quantity that
he usually takes-thrce grains-that
with a dash of the bottle he can throw
the exact quantity into the palm of his
hand, The druggist with whom he
usually deals has verified the weight of
the dose thus prepared many times and
invariably finds it correct to a fraction
of a grain.
The drug store is a favorite place for
leaving bundles, valises, etc. Many Of
the packages left are never called for
A lady left bundle in an Olive street
establishment year ago that contained
two dozen suits of underwear and has
never returned for them. AT the same
drug store a we'll dressed man left his
Valise, containing clothing, papers, a
shaving set and many miscellaneous ar
ticles, and never came back. The stran-
gest case of the kind was man who left
his wife at a down town store about 9
O'Clock, promising to return in ten min
utes. AT 10 o'clock closing time, he
had not returned, so the druggist sat
down TO wait for him, not caring to
turn the lady out on the street At II 10
a. m. he dropped in, much the worse for
wear, and then there was scene that
repaid the druggist for his long vigil
People who get hurt ON the streets in
my manner always go to the drug stores
TO be patched up. They claim treatment
Of this kind apparently as a right and
part of tho duty of the druggist to the
public, and in nine cases out of ten do
not even express their thanks for the
service rendered them
Physicians prescriptions would often
tell the sick person something they did
not know if they could understand them.
Chalk and distilled water for nervous
ness, sugar pills for headaches and pink
water for dyspepsia are frequent pre-
scriptions.
There is an old gentleman who pa
ironi2es South st. Louis drug store
who thinks ne is a confirmed morphine
iicnd. He began the use of morphia for
Insomnia The first prescription called