The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-21
THE PHARMACY BILL.
Senate Advances 1t Almost Unani-
mOusIy-HOrner Fights 1t.

Senate Advances 1t Almost Unani-
mOusIy-HOrner Fights 1t.
The Senate had a lively session yesterday
afternoon and about two-thirds of the time
was taken up with the discussion of two
bills on second reading. The most obsti-
nate and bitter fight came up when Senator
Hawkins asked for d second reading for
his bin requiring all pharmacies to be regis
tered and licensed.
For some reason Senator Horner mani
tested a strong antipathy toward the bill
from the start and tried measure after
measure to cripple or kill it, without avail
1t proved not to be a party measure, and
with the exception of Senator Gill, the Pop
ulist, Horner stood alone against the bill
He first offered as an amendment to strike
out the lines providing that licenses shall
be granted for only two years to such APP
plicants as shall prove that they have
worked four years in store where pre-
scriptions have been compounded or shall
have served as druggists clerk for two
years before applying for a license. In ex-
PLANTATION he said he did not believe in Civ
ing a license for two years; that one license
should be good for all time, and that the
qualifying time should be reduced from four
years to two for ordinary employees and
from two to one year for druggists clerks,
as he never heard of any one being killed
from a mistake in filling prescriptions"
This last statement provoked a general
laugh at the end of which Senator Hawkins
arose and said that the bill had been pre-
pared by the State Pharmacists Associa-
ton, the members of which were presumed
TO know what they wanted and that the
association had asked to have it passed
rxraf1 aI.1
on the amendment and resulted in ONLY one
vote being cast for it, Senator Horner then
said that the bill was nothing but the cyl
dence of hight of the big fish against the
little ones, and its erect would be to give
monopoly OF the drug business to a few
Of the big fish. In answer to this Senator
Hogate asked Senator Horner how long a
man was compelled to attend a medical col
lege before he was given a chance to prac-
tlce, Dut the question did not disturb the
clay county man at all He turned to the
senator from Hendricks county and said ::
From what | can learn / think none of
them have to attend at all III they have
enough money TO buy diploma. l would
nave more confidence in a student who had
made calls with physician in his regular
practice than | would IN any of the young
snipes who are turned out by droves every
year from the medical schools of the State =
Senator New interposed and said that the
purpose OF the bill was to prevent the un-
qualified pharmacist from mixing drugs
Senator NuSbaum, Democrat, also added to
the storm of censure which was brewing
around Senator Horner by saying that the
Clay county mans ideas We're antiduated
and antediluvian, and that ii was probable
that there were no druggists in Clay county
who could read physicians prescription.
Senator Horner replied by saying that if
that were the case, il was proba BILE that
there We're no physicians there who could
properly write one. After stating that the
druggists of Clay county We're squareIy
against the BILL he subsidized for a few min
utes and Senator Winfield asked if ii was
the purpose of the bill TO prevent small
country groceries from handling patent
medicines. Senator Hawkins replied that it