The Rich Hill tribune. (Rich Hill, Mo.) 1903-1911, 1907-08-22
ARE PHYslciANs' pREscRiPrloNe
NosrRUMs7

~ NRN NNt Nuaiil'0i Nnu TOW NY
men are, 20 discriminate in~tcllifently
between physicians prescriptions, pro-
prletary medicines and nostrums, Il
may seem little short OF q crimo 10
hint evcn that physicians prescFir.
tons are IN any mauner related to
aostrums; nevertheless. an impartial
examination OF an the facts Ia the
case leads irreslstlbiy TO the conclu.
sion that every medicinal preparation
compounded and Dispensed by a physl-
elan Is. IN the strict sense OF the word,
a nostrpm, and that the average.
readyspEepaTed proprietary remedy IS
superior to the average specially pre-
pared physicians prescription.
What Is a %nostrumg According to
ne Standard Dictionary a nostrum Is
"A medicine the composition OF which
Is kept a secret" Now, when a physi.
clan compounds and dispenses with
his own hands a remedy for the treat.
ment Of a disease-and n is authQrita-
lively stated that probably so per
cent. o. all physicians prescriptions
in this country are so dispensed-the
names and quantities. Of the ingre-
dents which constitute the remedy
are not made kno vn to the patient
Hence. since It's composition Is kept a
secret by the physic an. the remedy OF
prescription is unquestlonably. Ia the
true meaning OF the word. q Simon
pure nostpm. Furthermore. the pre-
scription compounded by the average
physician is more than likely to be a
perfect jumble-replete with thera-
peutic. physiologie and chemical In
,ompatlbillties and bearing all the ear
marks OF pharmaceutical incompe-
leney; for 81 Is now generally admitted
that unless a physician has made a
special study OF pharmacy and passed
some time In a drug store for the pur-
pose Of gaining a practical knowledge
Of modern pharmaceutical methods.
be Is not fitted to compound remedies
for his patients. Moreover, a physi-
clan who compounds his own prescrip-
tions not only depriyes the pharmacist
q his Just emoluments, but he endan-
gers the lives OF patients; for IL Is
only BY the detection and elimination
Of errors in prescriptions by clever.
competent pr~escriptionists that the
J safety Of the public can be ~eHectuaily
shielded from the criminal bunders
Of ignorant physicians.
Nor can Il be said that the average
physician Is any more competent 70
formulate a prescription than he is 10
compound a. when memoFized or a.
rectly copied from a book OF "favorite
prescriptions by famous physicians"
or from some textbook or medical
journal, the prescription may be all
thar Il should be- Y Is only when the
physician Is required % originate a
formula on the spur Of the moment
that his lncompstency Is distinctly evl-
dent Seemingly however. the phNsi-
clans OF the United States are little
worse than the averaga British physt
clan: for We md Dr. James Barnett.
lecturer on Practical Materla Medica
and Pharmacy. Edinburgh. |lamentlng
In the Medical Magazine the passing
Of the prescription and bemoaning the
fact that seldom does he find q final
man" anle 10 devise a prescription
] ENNA ~ ANNA NWMNN.NNMM AANAMa
And what. Il may be asked. Is the
status OF the written prescrlptlon-the
prescription that Is compounded and
dispensed by the pharmacist-is Il.
too, a nostrum9 Il may be contended
that the patient. with the written
formula In his possession. may learn
the character Of tho remedy pre-
scribed. SO. possibly. he might II he
understood Latin and were a physician
or a pharmacist. but as he usually pos.
sosses no professional training and
cannot read Latin. the prescription n
practically a dead secret 70 him.
Furthermore. the average prescription
Is 50 badly wTittcn and 80 greatly
abbrckiated that even tho pharmaciat.
skilled o. he usually q Ga deciphofing
medical hierorlyphs, IL constantly
obliged TO interview preseribers 20
hnd ont what actually has been pre-.
aeFibed. u may also be contauied.
that inasmuch as the formula Is known
70 both physician and pharmacist the
! prescription cannot therefore be e 81,
cret But with equal truth d might be
I commended that the formula nf any So
called nostrum Is NOT a secret since ID
IS known 10 both proprietor and manu-.
factnreF; for it must not he forgotten
that according % reliable authority.
95 per cent Of the %propriefors of So
fcalled patent medicines prepared ia
this country nave their remedies made
Tor them by large, reputable manuiac.
turing pharmacists. but even should
a patient be able 10 recognize the
names Of the ingredients mentioned In
a formula he would only know half
the story. ID Is seldom. for instance,
that alcohol Is specifically mentioned
"a a prescription. for IL Is usually
masked Ia the form OF tinctures and
huid extracts. rs are a great many
other substances. II Is evident, there
fore. that the ordinary formulated pre-
scription Is. 20 the average patient, lit
tie less than a secret remedy or nos