The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-02-03
WANT IT STOPPED
DRUGGISTS CALL ON MAYOR IN RE
GARD TO DIsPENsARY ABUSES.
TOO MUCH FREE MEDICINE
Distributed TO PERSONS NOT EN-
TITLED To 1T, THEY CLAIM.

Suggested as a Preventive of This
Practice That Every Person to
Whom Medicine is Given Have
Name, Residence and Occupation
Placed on Book aud That Repre-
sentative of the Druggists be Al
lowed TO Inspect Them-AIdermen
Opposed to Plan Claiming 1t
WOnId WantOnIy Wound Feelings
of Many of the 'POOr but Proud
Representatives of the Savannah
Druggists Association called on May
or Myers at the City Exchange at noon
yesterday relative to their complaint
that many persons are securing free
medicines from the city dispensary
when they are not entitled to them, and
that this condition of affairs is hurt
ing the trade of the druggists and
should be stopped.
AS means of stopping it they sug-
gested to his honor that representa-
tives of the druggists association be
given the privilege of examining the
books of the dispensary, and, further,
that it be made necessary to keep the
name, address. occupation, ETC., of the
person to whom the medicine be deliv-
cred. By this means, the druggists
claim, when the law is violated, they
can detect the culprit and that when
detected he can be prosecuted.
Mayor Myers suggested to the COM
mittee that their complaint and
wishes in the matter be placed in writ
ing and a copy furnished him, and,
further, that they might rest assured
they would have his support and as
sistance in anything that was within
reason. The druggists who made the
call at the Exchange were Messrs. ].
D. Persse, H. H. Livingston, ]. T.
Shuptrine and Eldred Simkins, all
members of the Executive Committee
of the association.
Several of the aldermen who were
spoken to about the matter are OPP
posed to any such plan and they give
what they consider a very good reason
for their opposition.
They contend that many persons
who are too poor to buy their medi-
cines are also too proud to let it be-
come known that their drugs come
from the city dispensary. They would
sooner suffer than have it known that
they are forced to use medicine fur
nished by the city, although they are
entitled to it, This is the situation as
it is seen by those aldermen who were
spoken to about the matter and a
fight will be made against giving the
members of the association access to
the books of the keeper of the dis
pensary. The members of Council
who have expressed themselves say
that the attitude they assume is
prompted solely by a humanitarian
feeling.
For the Proud Poor.
Alderman A. j. Garfunkel is one of
those who does not wish the veil of
secrecy lifted from the faces of the
class known as the proud poor. ITO
arrange it so that the druggists would
know each and every person who Sc
cures medicine from the dispensary
would mean the running away of
worthy people who are entitled to this
form of charity" said Alderman Gar
funkel in discussing the subject. "Of
course there are some people who do
not care who knows that their medi-
cines come from the dispensary, but
there are many more who have pride
and who would sooner do without
necessary drugs than have it known
that they were being aided by the city
A prominent citizen stated to me to-
day that a lady of birth and blood,
who in recent years has been unfor-
tunate and has had struggle to keep
the wolf from the door, told him that
she would rather die from lack of
medicine than have it known that her
prescriptions were filled at the dis
pensary.
Il know that there are many more
in this lady's fix, and I for one do not
think it right that they should suf-
fer simply because the druggists ex-
press desire to know who is furnish
ed medicine by the city. 1t isn't proper
and 1 am unalterably opposed to grant
ing the request they have made of
the Mayor. 1 am thoroughly convinced
that the granting of such a request
would add suffering to these poor peo-
pie and God knows they suffer enough
and have hard enough Btruggle,
without the city doing something that
will add to their burden"
The Mayor has not yet ordered
Keeper Strutton of the dispensary to
let his books be gone over by the COM
mittee from the druggists and DR.
Strutton will not think of furnishing
the names of the citys poor without
explicit instructions from him. 1t is
said that the simple suggestion that
those who have prescriptions filled at
the dispensary might have their names
furnished the druggists has frightened
away the proudest of this proud class
of poor. The truth of this assertion. it
would SEEM is borne out by the fact
that last month the number of pre-
scriptions filled at the Dispensary fell
short of January 1902 by about 200.