The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-10
DRUGGISTS TALK T OVER WITH DOCTORS Symposium Brings Out Some
 Interesting Points RELATIONS ARE VERY CL L0SE Patent Medicines Come In for censure and Danger of Narcotics In Pre-
 scriptions Is Emphasized
 By the Speakers.
RELATIONS ARE VERY CL0 0SE

The Medical Society of Jefferson coun- ty held a very interesting symposium with representatives of the pharmacists present last night. President Wyman, in opening the meeting, alluded to the intimate rela tionship existing between the druggist and the physician. He said;
 Drug stores are not what they used to be. Today, they sell in addition to drugs, and patent medicines, cigars, peri odicals, flowers, candy and other things John L. Porker was introduced by the president as a man who had several cor ners in the drug business. He was on the programme to discuss patent and proprietary medicines.
 Under the existing order of things drugs have become a side line in our business. Patent medicines are a large feature by reason of the demand" Pro ceeding MT. Parker discussed many of the nice points of ethics that arose as between the pharmacist and the physi- cian He urged that the two professions should get closer together with clearer understanding of their relations duties and responsibilities.
 He said there were as many as forty different names for some drugs. com pounded by patent medicine manufao- turers, or by those who made proprle- tary medicines as distinguished from the patent kind.
 John w. Patton was next on the pro- gramme and spoke on the Relationship of the Druggist to the Physician" He {t ous that the doctor and the druggist meet together, that from a pharmaceutical and ethical standpoint there was much to be gained.
 "The paths, though divided lie along the same direction" said he He alluded to the patent or proprietary medicine drummer pressing his nostrums upon the attention of the doctors with the result of prescriptions coming to the pharmacist. He Appreciated this as a reflection on the physicians intelligence and ability
 Speaking of the preparation for their work, he said 1t was necessary for the pharmacists to apply themselves for years to be equipped for the duties they assumed. He thought that the phar- maehlst was not looked upon with due respect to his position and value by the physician, that physicians were quite too prone to prescribe proprietary medicines. He urged physicians to turn more to the i pharmacopea and the national formulary instead of so-called patents" Dr. Johnson, a pharmacist spoke few words on the questions before the meet ing. He was of the opinion that much of the criticism of druggists came from those who had failed either in pharmacy or medicine.
 He distinguished the difference be- tween proprietary and patent medicines, as the one that is advertised in medical journals and the other in the newspapers. He suggested that there should be legs- lation against the druggist who prescribed for special ailments such as eye, ear and throat troubles. He urged the adop- tion of the metric system and that the doctors and druggists meet together ey- cry three months
 A r. Moody on the subject, "The New Pharmacopea," made an interesting talk. He alluded to important changes that had been made in the strength of certain for muas and ingredients.
 MT. Averyt, president of the Alabama Pharmaceutical association was intro duced and made few remarks A num- Der of talks were made by the different { physicians and the whole trend was that | patent medicines were henceforth to be let alone The danger of narcotics In prescriptions and patent medicines was | emphasized.