The times., 1899-11-16
DISTRICT MAY SUE ITSELF.
Violation of the Pharmacy Law t,
Be investigated.

Violation of the Pharmacy Law to
Be Investigated.
1t is not improbable that criminal pro-
ceedngs will be entered against the Dis
trict OF Columbia by one of its officers in
few days. The District is violating the
law regulating the practice of pharmacy
in this city at the Washington Asylum
Hospital. and the officers of the pharmacy
beard have lately been instructed and pro-
yided with means OF bringing all such
offenders into court. The city has often
been sued civllly, but it is believed that
this is the first time il has been caught
violating one of its own laws. and it is
proposed to prosecute the case as rigor-
ously as possible This peculiar state Of
affairs was brought to light yesterday, and
is the result of careful investigation of
the violations of this particular law which
was set on foot some time ago.
Robert y. Harper, Secretary Of the
Board Of Commissioners OF Pharmacy, has
been busy for a week past in collecting
evidence against the ALLEGED vioiatOrs of
the law. The Commissioners of Pharmacy
have always tried to enforce the law as
much as possible but until lately they
have not had an officer who could devote
all his time to the collection OF eyi2en,
against Illegal pharmacists. On the ap
plication of DR.. J. W. Gregg Custis, of
the Board Of Medical Examiners. for the
detail Of policeman who could Ceyo e is
entire time to enforcing the laws regu-
iating the practice of medicine, dentistry,
and pharmacy in the District Detective
Charles Proctor was nominated by the
Chief Of Police for this position and was
relieved of his duties as a detective about
a month ago. Since then he has been ac-
lively at work assisting the pharmacy
board in the suppression of unregistered
prescription clerks. The main efforts OF
the officer for the last two weeks have
been directed against the hospitals and
other institutions using drugs, that do not
employ registered pharmacists TO fill the
prescriptions. There are few institutions
in the city that do employ such attendants.
it appears from Proctor's reports on The
subject and it is probable that the mana
gers of these places Will be brought into
the Police Court to answer to the charge
of violating the pharmacy law. In con-
nection with this matter a physician WHO
has been connected with one of the leading
hospitals for some time told a Times re-
porter last night:
1t seems to me that the efforts of the
Board of Commissioners Of Pharmacy can
be directed in a way that would do more
good to the general public if they would
cease hammering the hospitals and get
after the unregistered druggists who con
duct business in many places throughout
the city. The high profit which is sup
pczed TO be made from the sale CT drugs
and ether articles that are sold at well
conducted pharmacy, attracts many ior-
tune hunters who sooner or later ind that
the drug business is not gold mine, but
during the time they are engaged in the
Z tho nhVgiCianE a great
deal Of trouble l know CT one instance
where a prescription was sent to drug
store for sugar OF milk and the phar-
macist''-ope of the fortune hunting kind
7 sent sugar of lead instead, with a message
/ to the effect that the physician ordering
/ sugar Of milk did not know what he was
/ talking about luckily the mistake was
I discovered before the medicine was admin
I istered to the patient
] 'On several occasions such mistakes have
/ been brought to light, but no one knows
+ how many times they occur that they are
] not discovered. In the hospitals, at least
all those with which l have been connected,
/ there has always bsen the utmost care ex-
/ ercised in compounding prescriptions The
+ medicines are prepared either by graduates
! of some medical school or one OF the nurses
! who understands her business thoroughly.
/ have seen nurses who can put up pre-
/ scriptions as we'll as any druggist in the
/ city, and the instructions given them are so
/ explicit that mistake is almost impossible.
/ They understand the use OF drugs as well
4 as a druggist, and are quite as familiar
with medical terms.
The registration of pharmacists IN the
District is conducted by the Commissioned
I of Pharmacy. The candidates for registry
/ are REQUIRED 10 pass q severe examination
/ before certificates of registration are given
! them. These certificates are signed by
every member OF the board and it Is said
+ to be to the interest of the druggist TO
place them in a conspicuous position In
/ his store The law requires every phar-
macist to have certificate from the Board
! of Commissioners before he can practice
his profession in this city, and heavy
penalty is imposed on yiOlators OF this
+ law. II has been suggested that Congress
be Detitioned to make an appropriation for
/ the purpose Of securing the services OF a
4 registered pharmacist for all the institu-
tions which are supported or partially sup
ported by the District with a pToviso that
/ the pharmacists shall be appointed by
competitive examination by the District
! Commissioners. The reason for the ap-
uarent lack Of proper facilities for com
| pounding drugs at most Of the institutions
in the District is because of a scarcity OF
funds and it is thought that if the appro-
Drfation is made it will adjust the matter.