The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1904-03-03
IN DRUGS.
History Recalled by the Short Allow.
ance Of Cod in the Fisheries.


ance Of Cod in tho Fisheries.
Brooklyn Eagle: Owing 10 the almost
total failure of the cod fisheries last
the norma demand and the price of the
best medicinal oil has gone up 500 per
cent. The best cod liver oil is obtained
from the Norwegian fisheries and hun-
dreds of fishermen depend on the result
for their living. The failure of The fishing
last season, due to the migration Of the
Goldfish, has been a most serious thing
for them and their families. The failure
OF the oil supply, with its greatly en-
HANGED price in consequence has also
been a most serious thing to thousands
of poor folks In this country whose pock-
cts have not been deep enough to bear the
increased cost. Through the coming win
ter the effects will be still more severely
felt. Even the London hospitals for con-
sumption have been compelled to dlscon-
tinue the supply to patients in all but a
very few cases. All kinds of substitutes
are being tried, but so far nothing has
been found equal to the genuine oil.
Some few years ago, when the mahdi
was devastating the Soudan and all the
surrounding country, there was almost a
total failure Of the supply of gum acacia.
or gum arabic, as 1t is often called. This
is an essential ingredient in the COM
pounding of many medicines, and espe-
cially in the making of medicinal loZen-
gers, and the Inconvenience and loss
caused by this famine were great.
There was any quantity of gum in the
country waiting or the trees to be picked,
but all the natives had either been driven
off or were soldering with the mahdi. and
1t was not until about a year after Lord
Kitchener had finally smashed him UP
thai regular supplies began to come
through.
AS ar example of a scarcity caused by
speculation may be mentioned the at
tempt made a few years ago to corner the
supply Of camphor. The late Colonel
North was the moving spirit in this en-
t2:nc!se, and for some considerable time
1t looked like being successful. But sew
eral causes combined to knock the bot
tom out OF the corner.
III the first place, the stocks in hand
held out much longer than the conspira-
tors had anticipated. Next, new sources
Of supply were discovered, notably in the
Island of Borneo; and, finally, camphor
is not an article that can be kept indcfi-
nltely, except with the greatest care and
precaution. So, although the colonel
caused a temporary scarcity and a great
rise in price, in the end he was beaten
and lost thousands Of pounds over the
deal.
Another way In which a medicine fam
Inc may be caused is by a failure in the
crop brought about by bad weather or
other circumstances Owing to the wet
season there will be q great shortage in
this years supply Of peppermint. and
the prices of oil distilled from the plant
and for menthol obtained from the oil are
sure to advance.
Another valuable drug that will prob
ably be very scarce and dear for the next
year or two is cascara bark. One small
district, that OF Corvallis, in the state of
Oregon, practically controls the worlds
supply of cascara. Reports from there
are most unfavorable. and the price is
rapidly advancing. a curious fact about
cascara bark is hat it does not yield its
greatest virtues until 1t has been taken
from the trees and stored at least a year.