The times., 1898-11-06
.QUNINE KING over ALL
Fully Five Thousand Ounces
Sold Here Every Year.
SECRETS OF THE DRUGSHOP
The Enemy of Colds and Malaria
Cocaine Is the Most Expensive
Drug-Morphfne, Its Sale and How
"Fiends' Procure Their supply.

Quinine, the terror Of wobbly King Ma
laria and his myriad coadjutors, and the
sworn foe of la grippe, '.shake-bone" few
er, chills and fever, pneumonia, colds and
the general "cussedness'' of nature which
is attributed to ailments that require its
use, is the champion of the drugs, from
the standpoint Of quantities sold every
year.
In conversation with a Times reporter
last week well-known druggist said that
probably 5000 ounces of the whited COM
pound were sold in this city in the course
of every year, and that Its sale was far
In advance of that of any other drug.
'.It is hard to say exactly now much
is sold here he said, but 1t is safe to
state that barrels of 1t pass down the
throats of Washingtonians. This city
does not have the most enviable reputa-
tion for health by reason Of the fact that
malaria has apparently established its
headquarters somewhere hereabouts.
That accounts for the predominance of
quinine in the list of selling drugs.
Morphine, in its various forms. Is also
largely sold. 1t may be interesting, not
to say appalling, to say that Is per cent.
at conservative estimate, OF the popula-
ton OF this city use the drug. The num-
ber of morphine fiends here would sur
prise you were the figures compiled and
given out Fully 10000 persons are VIC
tins of the practice. ana nearly all of
them seem to have means to satisfy the
craving"
How is the trade in hypodermic
syringes for the injection of the NOR
phine?"
During the past five years the num-
Der sold has increased easily ten times.
Nearly every 'fend' now has his outfit,
made OF silver, and he is never at loss
for his favorite solace."
rs II difficult 10 obtain the drug?"
No, not the way things are run now.
A person may go to a physician and for
80 cents, in most instances, get prescrip-
tion which entities him TO a small guam
| tity of the drug. He may renew the pre-
scription as often as he desires, as the
/ number of IT is on the label of the bottle
and all he has to do Is TO return it and
state his wishes. There is no law requir-
ing that he be restricted appreciabiy in
his appetite for the poison
What is the most expensive drug sold
in the average drug store?-
Cocaine. 1t retails for from 50 to s7.75
an ounce. Quite quantity OF it is sold
| every year-it Is impossible TO state just
how much.'
Returning to. the subject of quinine
the druggist said that it was sold cheaper
In this city than almost anywhere e-se in
the country
There Is scarcely drug store In the
District but win sell you dozen three
grain capsules for Is cents" he sa.d.
while in other cities % cents will be
charged for the same dose.
During the last few years the evil of
aduiteration has crept into the quinine
trade, as well as in other lines of drugs.
Quinine is an alkaloid found In certain
| of the species OF chincona. and the temp
tation to make It the subject OF dilution,
from the very fact of its costiinessA was
too strong to be resisted. Quite a bit of
the quinine sold over the counter as gen.
uine is not the real article, but it con-