Rocky Ford enterprise., 1907-08-23
ARE PHYSICIANS PRESCRIPTIONS
NosTRuMs7

prletury meulclneS ana nOstrumS. IL
may seem little short OF crime to
hint even that physicians prescrip-
lions are In any manner related to
nOstrums; nevertheless. an impartial
examination OF all the facts In tho
case leads irresistibly to the conclu-
sion that every medicinal preparation
compounded and dispensed by physi-
clan Is. In the strict sense OF the word.
a nostrum. and that the average.
ready-prepared proprietary remedy Is
superior to the average specially.pre-
pared physicians prescription.
What is u nostrum? According to
the Standard Dictionary nostrum is
''a medicine the composition OF which
Is kept secret" Now. when a physi.
clan compounds and dispenses with
his own hands u remedy for the treat
ment Of a disease-and II Is authorita-
lively stated that probably 60 per
cent. OF all physicians prescriptions
In this country are 30 dispensed-the
names and quantities OF the ingre-
dients which constitute the remedy
are not made known to the patient.
Hence. since Its composition Is kept q
secret by the physician. the remedy or
prescription is unquestionably. In tho
true meaning of the word. u Simon
pure nostrum. Furthermore. the pre-
scription compounded by tho average
physician is more than likely to be n
perfect jumble-replete with thera-
pcutic. physiolo.ic and chemical In.
compatibiiitics and bearing all the car
marks of pharmaceutical incompe-
tcncy: for II IL now generally admitted
that unless physician has made a
special study Of pharmacy and passed
some time In drug store for the pur-
pose Of gaining u practical knowledge
oe modern pharmaceutical methods.
he Is not fitted to compound remedies
for his patients. Moreover. n phyM-
clan who compounds his own prcscrip-
tons not only dcprivcs the pharmacist
of his Just cmoiumcnts. but he cndan-
gers the lives OF patients: for II is
only by the detection and elimination
Of errors In prescriptions by clever.
competent prcscriptionists that tho
safciy Of tho public can be- cn.ctually
shielded from the criminal blundcrs
OF ignorant physicians.
Nor can II DO said that the average
physician In any more competent to
formulate n prescription than he is to
compound Il. when mcmorixcd or di.
rrctiy copied from book OF ''fayoritc
prescriptions by famous physicians"
or from somc textbook or medical
Journal. tho prescription may bc aii
that II should be. Il IL only when the
physician Ii required to Originate. a
formula on tho spur Of the moment
that his incompctcncy II distinctly cvi.
dent Seemingly. however. tho phyNi.
clans OF the United States arc little
clan: for VIC Ind DIR. James burnett.
lecturer on Practical Ma,cria Mcdica
md Pharmacy. Edinburgh. lamcntins
In the Medical Magazine the passing
of the prescription and bcmoanin. the
fact that seldom does he md n ''finai
man" abio to devise n prescription
oven In good contracted 1.siin.'
And what. Il may he asked. II tho
status OF the written prcscription-thc
prescription that IL compounded and
dispensed by the pharmacist-is II.
too. a nostrum4 II may be con,cndcd
that the patient. with the written
formula In his possession. may learn
the character of the remedy pre-.
scribcd. 50. possibly. he might II he
understood Latin and were physician
or pharmacist. but as he usually pos.
scsscs no professional training and
cannot read Latin. the prescription IA
practically n dead secret to him.
Furthermore. the average prescription
IL 30 badly written and 30 greatly
abbreviated that even the pharmacist.
skilled as hc usually Is In dcciphcring
medical hicroslyphs. Ia constantly
Obliged 10 Interview prcscribcrs to
ind out what actually has been pre-
EcTibcd. IL may also be contcndcd.
that inasmuch as the formula Ia known
TO both physician and pharmacist the
prescription cannot therefore be a So
crct. hut with equal truth IL might be
contcndcd that the formula OF any So
called nostrum is not a secret since II
is known to both proprietor and manu-.
facturcr: for II mus, not be forgotten
that, according TO reliable authority.
e5 per cent. of the propric,ors of So
called patent medicines prepared In
this country have their remedies made
for them by large. reputable manufac.
turing pharmacists. hut even should
n patient be able to recognize tho
names OF the ingredients mentioned in
n formula he would only know half
the story. IL Ia seldom. for instance.
that alcohol is specifically mentioned
in a prescription. for II Is usually
masked in the form OF tincturcs and
fiuld extracts. as are great many
ali rN,lU Ia
fore. that the ordinary formulated pre-.
scription is. TO the average patient. lit.
tie less than n secret remedy or nos.
trum.
On the other hand. the formulae OF