New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1903-07-29
URGES PRICE UNIFORMITY


For Pharmacists.
Article Contributed TO Western
Druggist Of Chicago.
New Ulm Man Advances Argument
/ to Support Contention.
The Western Druggist, one of the
most Influential magazines of nat pro-
fession, contains two articles in the
| July number from the pen Of "A. j /.
Eckstein. One is his complete address
| before the associ alton in this city and
the other is an article on the difference
in prices charged by druggists for the.
same work. OF the latter we give ex-
cerpts and call attention to the sound
argument set forth in defense Of the
pr OPPOSITION Mr.. Eckstein has brought
up. .5 n
g"In Introducing my paper on the ad-
visibility of the uniformity of pre-
scription charges, it is well to recall
! the story of the eye specialist who,
| when repro ached by his client for his
high charges for Strengthening pair
Of crossed eyes, replied, My good
young man, I admit that my fees are
high, but when you consider that I
spoiled a bushel of eyes learning to
straighten such as yours feel that
you will speak less harshly.' It is
needless to say that the patient shud-
dered and gladly paid his bill &
"When man or woman burns up
brain matter good gray thought pro-
Queer he is not expected to do it for
nothing. It is contrary to the COM
mercial welfare of the land to ask it.
| One might as we'll ask the skilled
organist to accept the organ-grinder's
compensa tion as to look to any pro-
| fessional to do skilled work for I'M.
skilled remuneration. The laborer
is worthy of his hire is as operative
now as it has ever en-and more so,
am inclined to think, because the
world has set more rigid requirements
o. what man does.
''The druggist who studies pharmacy
invests both money and energy, and
1.-THE while he valves his rights to COM
pensation. AS a student he is expected
to do these things and he is pleased to
fulfill his requirements without a MUIR
muir. After he receives his mark of
recognition, he usually goes out into
the world looking for that indefinite
thing known as a Job He works
from early morn till late at night and
strives to perfect himself in what he
learned at school. Finally, after years
of patient labor, he may settle down
to the dignity of druggist. What he
can do then costs him many years of
time and study. He has advanced not
only in personal efficiency but in pub
lie utility. You can no more separate
| the skilled druggist from the needs of
mankind that you can separate the
4 United States from the North American
continent: One has become part and
parcel of the other.
Gin view of these plain truths, why
should the druggist hang his head
modestly and refuse fair pay for his
services? Why should he base his
charges merely on the cost of drugs he
ompounds? What, pray, would those
same drugs become in the hands of a
novice? What, then, should the guardi-
an of human life receive for his
| knowledge, which has become so
necessary to every man and woman
who has had the fortune to be born
under the light Of civilization?
iDruggists, as a general thing, for
get or ignore the fact that it is. their
skill, not the drugs, that makes pre-
scriptions possible and valuable. The
skilled attorney smokes, looks wise
and charges S25, up. to that many
! hundreds, according to the worth ot
his client, for merely telling him what
is written in the statutes. Because the
client is not schooled in points law,
the price charged is generally fair.
''The specialist treats the throat OF
a singer and for his services he is
richly paid. He did not base his
charges on the cost OF the medicines
he used nor upon the wear and tear
on his surgical instruments. His
schedule was founded upon his ability
to use the things he. did use rightly,
: Had he. not known, the vocalist might
have lost her voice for all time.