New-York tribune., 1907-06-09

II Is bad enough and sad enough when the BATHS
that is constantly on between the bulls ana
bears who operate in the necessaries OF life
results IN a victory for the former and prices OF
food products go soaring upward.
But the healthy man can at least offer passive
resistance. The human stomach is versatile. II
the price OF pork is prohbitve for the poor mans
purse. fish and potatoes viii as efficiently appeass
hunger.
Not with the sick man. There are many cases
Of sickness in which the physician prescribes a
certain medicine the place Of which nothing elsa
can take. The saving of hundreds Of human lives
depends therefore upon the unrestrained supply OF
the cardinal drugs OF pharmacy.
And yet two attempts to corner opium ars
part OF the history Of the drug trade and specu-
laton in this drug is rampant to-day as ever.
How vital drug opium is may be seen from tha
following description OF it's medicinal properties
given in the United States Dispensatory:
Opium relieves pain more speedily and enrectu-
ally than any other medicine taken into the hu-
man stomach II possessed OF other property
than this, 1t would entitled TO a high consiGara-
ton Not to mention cancer and other instances
of painful disease which not only temporarily
relieved. but entirely cured by the remedy. thers
is scarcely complaint in the catalogue OF human
ailments in the treatment Of which II is not occa-
sionally demanded for the relief of suffering which
If allowed to continue, might aggravate the dsor-
der and protract if not prevent. a cure
That the spectators think less Of opium than
the physicians is cOnclusivey proved by the fnct
that years ago they sent prices within a
single week from 81 671a 81 a pound The present
wholesale market price Is twice that of 1Sa3
and 10 per cent higher than IN the early part OF
the year. As explanation for this continual
fuctuation the price OF opium. the speculators
have recourse to the threadbare phrase Of the law
Of demand and supply and the uncertainty OF the
opium crop in Turkey. from which country all
medicinal opium comes Both explanations are not
valid. During the last eighteen years a total oe
I145SO cases of opium have been grown in Turkey.
an average Of 6.363 cases year The worlds de-
rland IS between 1850 and 500 year az Jhs
most. that. a matter Of fact, there Is a con-
siderable surplus of the supply over the demand
Millions have been made and lost In opium speCula-
tion and II IS not unusual thing TO read in the
so-caled market reports Of the drug trade papers
that stocks OF opium well concentrated which
means in effect that II an epidemic were TO cause
a large demand for opium the price OF saving
human lives would be arbitrarily fixed BY one or
two speculatOrs
While there IS in New York no regular drug
exchange. such that IN AIincing Lane. London.
the spectators are kept in touch with another
through the medium OF brokers who execute buy
/ ing and selling orders for drugs much the Wall
/ Street broker does for stocks and bonds Without
! fear OF contradiction the broad statement Be
made that not single crude drug passes into ths
hands OF the druggist on the basis OF cost plus
legitimate profit. would suppose, That hazy
institution the drug market which is dominated
by speculative interests, dictates what You SHAH
In some instances the bears have been known
! Wnole-
sale az 14l7 cents an ounce. some years ago ne
: n arket price was s. an ounce Allowing Tor the
quinine well for the comparatively slight
decrease in he cost Of nanuTaSLq1Te SURE there SUI
between the present price OF quinine and that ot
those 81 or s. FOR each ounce Of quinins traded
in how7 Largely into those Of speculators and who
As late five years ago quinine was quoted at
featuring was no greater than II is to-day Lon
don speculator who figured that quinlne would go Up
TO gate % SoGnt 5uSg To ,o but q he IS s soi5n
the million ounces for rise. as they say IN Wall
Coo liver oil may be appropriately termed poor
lies which the physician has in fEhting or At least
preventing the spread OF the white mans plagus.
liver oil IS Is per cent larger than that Of 1.el.
''6uIs'9 prophesy stiIi further advances
When measles are epidemic American saffron
years ago these flowers were quoted at 30 cents
5bniis! to take kiadr interest IN the TIE ani
they sent the price TO s. g. \ short time ago the
was the PTevains qaojstio At the present tine
me specuIato re)o.le n W nat 1hey are pleased
, little ones 10 get the measles!
Cocaine. the most popular anaesthetc OF the pres.
ent day. was recently taken in tow by the bears
and result. quotations are about half OF what
bulls have doubled the price OF cascara sasrada.
GTIE 'aS many % & t Ts'1eF '7 HiOs'
The most high handed manCeuvre in recent years
specuiator cornsTed all available stocks Of pink
root (5pinzela). the powerful authemiltlo
had AT 45 cents a pound The sPeCulator who sue
H IS soa Sis hoIdinss ' at that figure 'G and F oa2
quotations are once more at the normal figure Of
GuaTTana, a valuable drug. first prescribed By Dr.
Gavrelle. physician 70 Dom Pedro, the late En-
peror OF Brazil could be had few months ago
FOR 70 cents a pound. 4 SpeCulatOr managed 70
concentrate stocks IN his hands and to double ths
price.
Potassium bromide medlcament which has besa
employed In almost all diseases 20 which human
flesh is heir and which IS still esteemed BY ply
yous ailments; epilepsy and convulsio1s. can %
pears, have proved more powerful than tns
One might extend this list OF "docto-e1'' values
70 include almost every eruS OF Importance. ms
few that not the object OF speculation cone
9sa 1fces as aPbPPG ~ pGwsTu g dosDcos sFrs @
ample OF this kind is iodine Aside from the sact
that conttos It's production IS out " Of ali prop9.
ton TO the actual cost. there only a few c.'
ana thess pay for their purchases long befors
they receive them. The price OF mercury Is. 90
word IS law with the American miners OF Guick-i
And who foots the bIIi,
take OF the charity OF free hospital and the AK
PAYERS who have 70 pay for the medical treatment
The Pure Food and Drug law. which goes INTO
erect next year VIII remedy one ,sreat U.s. 40
cialist to wish for legislation that would put
Drugs are not commercial comnod1tyt taey ara
a humane necessary
The standard Of civilization OF people Is y tTs:yy
measured by their regard for human hfe suIsv
americans do not want to see the means o. @ s1v os
despicabie Tsrety Of spscuat1on sItant--CTas m
Dependant