The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-01-05
NO ALCOHOL AT DRUG STORES New Law Stops Sale in
 Montgomery. NO MEDICINAL ALCOHOL All Places in City Stopped from
 Selling It. Oniy FowIer's Drug store Handled 1t And It Would Have to Close
 at O'Clock if Sale
 Continued.

One of the most serious objections offered to the g o'clock closing law Is the effect that it will have in pro- hibiting the sale of alcohol for medi- cinal purposes. not a drug store in Montgomery now having this article on sale. Up to the time that this law be- came effective one drug store In the city supplied all of the physicians and other drug stores, but now this will be discontinued and no license will be taken out
 The drug store which has been hand ling alcohol, which has become an in- dispensable medicinal property, is that of F. c. Fowler. MT. Fowler discover ed when he went to renew his license that if he sold the fluid he would be on the same footing as saloons and would have to close his place at 3 o'clock. As he keeps open all night he at once decided rather than cause his patrons inconvenience by being closed at the very hour, perhaps, that they might need him most, he would dis pense with the sale of alcohol.
 During the several years that he has been supplying the drug trade of Mont gomery with alcohol, Mir. Fowler has taken out regular retail liquor licenses the same as any saloon in the city. He is the only druggist in the city who has done this. It was the custom of the other druggists when they had a call for alcohol to send to Powders for 1t. In this way 1t was only necessary to take out new license. and even with all of the combined trade, MT. Fowler alleges that 1t did not pay to handle the drug as the license was out of proportion with the amount of sale.
 At present MT. Fowler keeps his store open all night, which he says. is very necessary to the successful con- duct of his business, and is a great convenience to the public generally as well as to physicians
 When he went to secure his license for the sale of alcohol he was aware that he could not sell it after o'clock at night, but when he was told that he would have to close his place of business at that houro If he took out license he was astounded He at once saw the effectiveness of the bill regulating the sale of intoxicants and decided that he would not risk being indicted and having his business ruined by taking a chance such as selling alcohol and keeping his place open after g o'clock would involve. When seen by a representative of The Advertiser Mir. Fowler said that he did not believe that there is another druggist in city who will pay the high license for the purpose of selling al- cohol. City, county and State license is necessary as well as the revenue license, totaling several hundred dol lars. and more than the gross receipts perhaps for an entire years sale Oj alcohol.
 "It was only yesterday that a custo- mer came in to get six ounces of alco- hol for a typhoid fever patient" said MT. Fowler, but I was forced to de- cline to sell 1t to him. I keep 1t here of course, but only use 1t in filling prescriptions. For instance gentle man came in and wanted some alcoh ol and some camphor. I told him that I could not sell him the alcohol but that I could sell him the camphor with alcohol in 1t. He said this was what he wanted so I fixed up the mixture for him."
 Several of the leading physicians of the city were seen and asked as to the necessity for the use of alcohol for medicinal purposes. They were unani- nous in the statement that the pro- visions of the g o'clock closing bill will be a serious inconvenience to them The fluid Is used most generally for typhoid fever patients. and is consid- cred very essential for rubbing the patients.
 Alcohol is also used for a number of other cases of illness. as well as for fuel for cigar lighters, alcohol stoves, etc. The problem presented to the physicians Is one that they will prob. ably discuss at their next meeting.