The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1897-05-04
DANGEROUS DRUGS.
How They are Sometimes Handled by
Prescription Clerks

Prescription Clerks
Fortunately for the patients the prac
tice of pharmacy is regulated in
the majority of the States com
posing the Union. In Missouri, for
instance, the law, il properly observed,
could be considered almost perfect, and
if a prescription is not properly filled,
the public seldom hears OF it. TIE ply,
sicians themselves, who should be the
first ones to complain in case Of error,
are very reluctant in the matter, as
they are apt to make mistakes them
selves. When q prescription calls for
a toxic dose of any kind of medicine,
the rule is for the pharmacist to tell the
patient to return in an hour or so, Is it
requires some time to prepare the
ingredients. This is an excuse to call
up the physician and ask him if he has
not committed an error. Many a pa
tient has been saved in this innocent
way from an untimely grave, although
the easiest thing to do would be for the
physician to write the weight of the
drug in full letters. Another thing
which deserves the attention of the
reformer is the deplorable habit Of
writing prescriptions in ''dog latin" in
stead of using the plain English Ian
guage without authorizations. Some
druggists, and physicians, too, for that
matter, possess hardly eny ordinary
knowledge of Latin, and the results
are not only ridiculous, but also full of
danger. But" says the smart drug
clerk, I'VE can always make it out"
Certainly there are druggists who
will make out anything, even deliver
to the customer a Bounce bottle with
the appropriate direction in exchange
for a Chinese wash bill accompanied by
the necessary cash. This is somewhat
exaggerated, but there is some truth in
it. To give an idea of the foolish
things apt to happen in case Latin is
,und erstood" by ignoramuses, the
writer called at a certain drug store for
one ounc9 of lodi chloridum," which
is common salt. The druggist, who ia
an old timer, never heard of this pomp
Gus Latin name and sent to New York
for the stuff. He must have his chic
ride Of sodium ia stock waiting for a
customer.
Mlsa pants is a favorite preparation
to make bread pills for imaginary pa
TENTS, and a prescription calling for it
went through the hands OF half q dozen
druggists before the JOKE was discov
cred.
AS a matter of course the dispenser
of medicine is not always to blame. He
covered many sins, as the perusal of
his f,e of prescriptions can demon
strate. Young medical students are
particularly dreadful in that line. AS
soon as a country boy has been in school
six weeks his greatest ambition is to
learn a few formulas to try on the first
patient who will be unsophisticated
enough to intrust himeelf TO his care.
One of these students had a book in
which he recorded prescriptions he
could learn from physicians willing TO
accommodate him. He wanted once a
cure for a cancer. A joker-there are
some in the medical profession-gave
him a splendid. recipe in Latin to pre-
pare chicken salad. The pharmacist,
an educated German, sent the patient
to the ST. Nicholas hotel. But these
are mere bagatelles and would prove
amusing occ 4sionally were it not that
some serious accidents are apt to hap