The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-10-05
ANY OLD THING
IS A MEDICINE
Aldermen Made that Dis
covery Last Night.
SETTLED SUNDAY MATER
Whole Matter Tabled on Strength Of
Medicine Definitions.
THE MARKET IS TO BE wtlTswAsHEO
Ordinance Adopted Prohibiting Any One From
Annoying Animals at the Park. Hand
Organs May Play on the
Streets.

Streets.
''What things are medicines?"
"All things are medicines"
81 move the matter be tabled"
Motion carried unanimously.
The above in a nutshell is what hap
pened last night when the proposed Sun
day ordinance came up before the Board
of Aldermen.
The aforesaid good and worthy alder
men of our city found themselves in deep
water, and they struck out for shore
right away. They found that they would
be called upon TO draw line between
what was medicine and what was not,
and things like the Pharmacopoea stared
them in the face. Accordingly the bet
was off. and no hard feelings.
Rev. G. T. Adams, whose sermons re-
Gently aroused the agitation which re-
suited in the presenting of the petition
and ordinance last night, was present at
the meeting, and was called upon to ad-
dress the Board.
He said that he had no speech to make,
and was only there to represent the min
listers of the city, and to call attention
to the character of the men who signed
the petition. Ut was signed by the min
listers of the city, the officials of the
various churches, and number of drug
gists.)
Mr. Adams then went on to mention
two facts not spoken of in the petition:
The young men employed in the drug
stores ought to have one day of rest out
of the seven. Several of them had
spoken to him on the subject. and said
they would be glad to get an opportunity
TO go to church or Sunday school.
The other was that the ordinance
would operate to do away with special
privileges.
The proposed ordinance prohibited the
selling of mineral waters. soft drinks,
cigars and tobacco in the drug stores,
and forbade any one to open a store on
Sunday for the purpose of buying or
selling, except in cases of necessity, but
provided that drug stores might be kept
open for the sale of drugs and medicines
only.
Alderman Hicks said he considered the
purpose very laudable. He would like
exceedingly to lock up and rest on Sun
day, and if the people wanted 1t he
thought it would be an excellent thing.
The livery stable men ought to have
rest, too, and Mr.. Dughi and Mr.. Yer
nacke, and the street car men. They all
worked on Sunday, as it was now.
Alderman Arthur then arose and aver
rec that no man had greater respect for
Mr. Adams than did he. but he could not
help thinking this thing was wrong.
1.-The little bit of soda water drunk here
on Sunday said he, don't hurt anybody.
/ think we ought to be glad there is no
liquor sold here. This is the most moral
Town in the State
Alderman Andrews said he had noticed
that the people gathered principally in
the Capitol Square on Sunday mornings,
instead of at the drug stores.
Alderman German submitted that the
parents were the proper guardians of
erring youth, and not the Board of AL
dermen.
Now began the trouble about the medi-
cine. Alderman Wilder started it. He
was of the opinion that many soft drinks
came under the head of medicine, such
as malt, jamaica ginger and dope in gen.
eral, and he asked Mr.. Hicks if malt was
not technically a medicine.
Mr. Hicks replied with the stunning re-
joinder that under the existing condi-
lions of medical practice anything was
medicine.
This made the Board gasp. They saw
they were up against it, They made one
more feeble effort, and asked Mr.. Hicks
if tobacco was a medicine. He said it
was infinitely described as such in the
Pharmacopoeia.
That settled it. The ''Pharmacopoeia"
did the Job. But Mr.. Hicks went mer-
cilessly on: Il had a man once bring in
a prescription for cigar, and he had it
refilled every fifteen minutes.
Another man brought in a prescription
for whiskey, and he had that refilled
every fifteen minutes until the supply
gave out
At about this iuncture some one said:
THAT ordinance ought to be entitled "A
Law for the Protection of DR.. Buffalo,
because if you've got an ingrowing toe
nail, he'll prescribe coca cola"
Finally Alderman Andrews ended the
agony by moving to table.
The ordinance requiring all restaurants
connected with saloons to close on Sat-
urday night and remain closed until Mon
day morning was adopted.
Alderman Wilder offered an ordinance
permitting hand organs and other must
cal instruments to be played on the
streets. Adopted.
Alderman Hamilton moved that the
Market Committee be authorized to spend
twenty or thirty dollars to whitewash
the inside of the market. Alderman
jackson moved to amend, and paint the
front side. Carried.
Alderman John Ward offered an or
dinance making it unlawful for any per-
son to modest wrong or iniure any of
the birds, animals. fish or reptiles in
the parks of the city, or to throw sticks,
stones. pebbles. dirt or rubbish at them
or in the cages or dens, or to brighten or
annoy them by striking or punching
them with sticks. switches, canes or
other means. The penalty for violation
shall be $40 or twenty days imprison
ment Adopted
Tho report of the city health officer
showed that there were % deaths In Sep