The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1907-08-24
ARE PHYSICIANS PRESCRIPTIONS
NOSTRUMS?

| between physicians prescriptions, pro-
| prie:ary medicines and nostrums, II
may seem little short of a crime to
| hint even that physicians prescrip-
! tons are in any manner related to
nostrums; nevertheless, an impartial
| examination Of all the facts in The
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 a nostrum? According to
! the Standard Dictionary d nostrum is
"a medicine the composition Of which
| is kept q secret" Now, when physi-
clan compounds and dispenses with
his own hands a remedy for the treat
! ment Of a disease-and it is authOrita-
lively stated that probably GO per
/ cent. of all physicians prescriptions
! In this country are so dispensed--the
! names and quantities of the ingre-
! uItNlS WHICH COuSlIlult INC ltlhCus
are not made known to the patient.
Hence, since its composition is kept a
secret by the physician, the remedy or
prescription is unquestionably, in the
| true meaning Of the word. Simon
| pure nostrum. Furthermore, the pre-
scription compounded by the average
! physician is more than likely to be
! perfect jumbe-replete with thera-
! peutic, physiologic and chemical in
compatibilities and bearing all the ear
marks Of pharmaceutical incompe-
| tency; for it is now generally admitted
! that unless a physician has made
special study of pharmacy and passed
some time in drug store for the pur-
! pose OF gaining a practical knowledge
Of modern pharmaceutical methods,
he is not fitted to compound remedies
| for his patients. Moreover, physi-
! clan who compounds his own prescrip-
tons not only deprives the pharmacist
Of his just emoluments, but he endan-
gers the lives of patients; for it is
only by the detection and elimination
| Of errors in prescriptions by clever
competent prescriptionists that the
safety. Of the public can be effectually
shielded from tho criminal blunders
Of ignorant physicians.
| Nor can 1t be said that the average
! physician is any more competent to
! formulate a prescription than he is to
! compound it. When memorized or d.
! rectly copied from book Of "favorite
| prescriptions by famous physicians
or from some textbook or medical
/ Journal, the prescription may be all
/ that 1t should be- 1t is only when the
| physician is required to originate a
| formula on the spur of the moment
/ that his lncompetenCy IS distinctly evil
dent. Seemingly, however, the physi-
/ clans of the United States are little
worse than the average British physi-
/ clan; for we find DR.. James Burnett,
! lecturer on Practical Materia Medica
and Pharmacy, Edinburgh, lamenting
! in the Medical Magazine the passing
! Of the prescription and bemoaning the
| fact that seldom does he find final
man" able TO devise a prescription
even in good contracted Latin"
And what, it may be asked, is the
status of the written prescription-the
! prescription that is compounded and
| dispensed by the pharmacists it,
/ too a nostrum? 1t may be contended
! that the patient, with the written
! formula in his possession, may learn
/ the character of the remedy pre-
scribcd SO, possibly, he might il he
understood Latin and were physician
or a pharmacist, but as he usually pos
/ sesses no professional training and
cannot read Latin, the prescription is
practically a dead secret TO him.
\ Furthermore, the average prescription
I is so badly written and SD greatly
/ abbreviated that even the pharmacist,
/ skilled as he usually is in deCiphcring
/ medical hierogiyphs, is constantly
/ obliged to interview prcscribers to
/ find out what actually has been pre-
! sCrbed. 1t may also be COnteuded
! that inasmuch as the formula is known
| to both physician and pharmacist the
prescription cannot therefore be a Sc.
cret. But with equal truth II might be
1 conteuded that the formula Of any so
! called nostrum is not a secret since 1t
is known to both proprietor and manu-
facturer; for 1t must not be forgotten
/ that, according 10 reliable authority
% per cent. Of the proprietors of So
/ called patent medicines prepared In
/ this country have their remedies made
for them by large, reputable maUutac-
IL 49,