The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-08-21
MEDICINES IN TABLETS.
4 Compact Form for Prescriptions
That Has Grown Much In Favor.
From the New York Post.

IhHt Has GrONFm Much III fANOr.
From the New York Post.
A few years ago there began to be felt
in the drug world a demand from physi-
clans for medicines in compact and porta-
BILE form. Doctors do not, as in the old
days, carry drug stores in saddle-bags. but
even now, and to a much greater extent
than is generally realized, they directly
supply their patients with the remedies
they prescribe; and, moreover. there are
evidences that this practice is increas-
ing. so that something of a reversion in
this particular TO backwoods days is by
no means out of the question Certainly
the return is fostered and facilitated by
the manner in which the large msnufac-
turing druggists have met the demand
mentioned above. They began putting up
in tablet form the medicines best adapted
for that treatment and finding that this
form had ready acceptance they APP
piled the method to less promising rene
dies. Whatever superficial difficulties
presented themselves were quickly over
come by little study, and 1t is now as
serted that there is scarcely any medicine
which is not capable of reduction TO tablet
form. Having reached this conviction.
and perceiving that the popularity of the
tablet increases rather than wanes, the
manufacturers have gone on putting one
remedy after another into this shape un-
til they now publish interminable cata-
logues of their products Not only have
simple agents been so reduced, but all the
famous prescriptions of eminent physi-
clans are now put up i'm this way.
The reasons why tablets are driving out
of the drug trade powders and liquids are
not far TO seek. The tablet is the most con-
densed form in which medicine can be put
up for administration, and therefore re-
OIirps less gpape than any ut her To he
physician having medicines in his Office
or carrying them on his visits it is a god
send. Its portability is also increased by
its immunity from unpleasant breakages.
There is no liquid, malodorous or staining,
or corrosive to issue from a broken re-
ceptacle and spoil his appearance and
comfort for inconvenient periods. Neither
is there any waste. Powders and liquids
can scarcely be used without an appre-
ciable loss, but the tablets as a rule are
as firm as cut sugar and nearly every
atom is utilized. More than that con-
densed, as remedies in this form are, they
are more effective than when administered
in the larger and looser volumes of pow
ders and liquids Then doses can be ad-
ministered with much greater accuracy
than when patients or nurses are
left to do the measuring, some
times according to mere judgment. as, for
instance, when the prescription reads
half wine-glassful." etc. Each tablet
contains to a minute fraction exactly the
same quantity as every other tablet in
the same bottle or box, so that the patient
takes in each tablet or In each number
of tablets precisely what the physician
intended he should take. Finally, in tab
| let form medicines are much less disa-
| greeable to the taste than in any other
| in which the medicinal substance is not
covered with sugar or gelatine. This is
largely accounted for by the fact that
sugar of milk is the base of the tritura-
| ton which is essential in order to re-
| duce to tablet form. The pulverization
| compression, dryness and small compass
/ also perhaps contribute to diVest tablets
I OF the unpalatableness Of powder and
| liquid forms. All these advantages com
mend the tablet equally to physicians and
| patients.
| duction of the tablet is that 1t has cheap
| ened medicines, especially those formerly
! put up in the shape Of pills. The price
| of the latter was reduced so to 50 per cent
and many plll-makers now put up their
| remedies in tablet form. The manufac-
turers complain that there is almost no
| profit in the matchmaking, and that UNI
! less huge quantities We're sold they would
| have to abandon the business. The very
! cheapening however, compels them to go
/ on so long as there is a living in it, since
| the public, having tasted medicines cheap
er and more acceptable in every other
way, will have no other OF course, this
tends TO make still harder than now the
lot of the small retail druggists. Another
effeN is the tendency of the new depart
ure to diminish work behind prescription
counters. This is a decided blow to small
drugstore proprietors, for while they
charge liberal prices for remedies which
| they themselves put up upon prescription,
they are obliged to sell the prepared tab
let's at low rates, and at the same time
they cannot dispense with the services of
assistant pharmacists, especially since
| there stil are and always will be prescrip-
| tons from doctors who do not wholly be-
| lieve in the tablet craze" Old-fashioned
| practitioners prefer old-fashioned ways,
| and some are interested in preserving the
corner druggist from extinction.