The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-06-28
DRUGGISTS ART AS PROFESSION.

holds his share Of tho responsibility in
tho practice Of medicine, vet how 8un-
mindful most people are Of the credit
that is due the profession.
There IS always a class OF patrons who
| will allow no one but the proprietor TO
compound their medicines, taking little
thoughtof the fact that some other skill
ed hands had prepared many OF the tine
| lures, eliXirs, etc, that tho proprietor
put up for the suspicious customer. Still
the one who fills a prescription Is legal
! Is responsible for its contents, and 1t Is
! the pharmacists obligation to thoroughly
know the dose, chemical action and COM
position of every component part of the
prescription he compounds. This Is only
just. but tho pharmacists IF the country
to-day do not have cause to regard their.
calling n profession. simply because the
laity Is not yet educated up to the
acy. "a
The standing Joke that water Is the
druggists best friend, and that a pre-
scriDtion for which he charges IS cents.
does not cost t. cents. and that Is for the
bottle, cork and label, wrapper and
string, sounds very funny, and like all
jokes hits the fellow the hardest who
has to pay the bill, but few stop to con-
slider that the druggist spent money
and time for his special education in Or
Lder that he might not poison people,;
! that he has clerks. rents, fuel. light (and
water bills); that he Is not compounding
S5-cent prescriptions every minute in the
day, and that after the days sales are
totaled In his prescription department he
would have to quit business if he had
not the profits OF the numerous other
articles he carries. The dry goods mar-
chant, the grocer. the lawyer, doctor, are
usually men OF more wealth than the
druggist. The net returns to-day of the
man who has chosen pharmacy for a
livelihood do not compare favorably with
those of the doctor. dentist or lawyer.
The embryo druggist has a hard lot as
an apprentice. He is initiated the first
year of life In a drug store to the irk-
some task of washing bottles, cleaning
windows, etc. and Is taught how to use
the mortar and pcstle by pulverizing
sponges! Verify he is worse off than the
printers devil"
The United States government has late
" taken a step toward the proper recog-
milton OF pharmacy as a profession The
United States Civil Service Commission
now requires that atcandidate be a grad
uate of some reputable college, and he is
required to pass a difficult examination
in pharmacy, organic and inorganic chem
istry, therapeutics. doses. spelling and
mathematics, besides n physical eXaml-
nation; but the reward, financially and
In rank, Is not yet bestowed, though
there has been n decided advance, es-s
pecially in the npvy and the PUBLIC health
and marine hospital service, in the
United States army department of med
icine the pharmacist has not Jared we'll;
there he is still handicapped by the mis-
leading title of hospital steward
Last year the American Pharmaceutical
Association addressed communication
to the surgeon general United states
army, requesting that one Of the pharr1a-
clsts OF the army corps be detailed to
represent his department at the annual
meeting of this association. The general
replied that they had not pharmacists In
the medical corps of the army. that they
We're called hospital stewards. had other
duties to perform more important than
prescription compromising, etc., and vet
the hospital steward is required to pass
stringent examination in pharmacy and
allied subjects.
The navy pharmacist fares better and
his pay at sea and on shore is reason
ably good. but the rank is unsatisfactory;
having no professional status. he Is class
eo with inc boatsWaln. carpenter sail
maker and gunner's mate.
The pha rmacists of the public health
and marine hospital service have in the
last two years been accorded some adj
vancement IN pay and rank. and they