Arizona republican., 1910-02-26
THE PATIENT WAS LUCKY.

The illegible writings of physicians is as proverbial as that of the cele- brated Philadelphia lawyer" observed the druggist. but it is not generally known that a great many physicians are exceedingly careless in other ways in preparing their prescriptions. We druggists frequently find mistakes in prescriptions which would be fatal to the patient il the medicine were com pounded as the physician directed. Although almost every state has most stringent laws forbidding a druggist to change a physicians prescription in any way, as rule druggists do make corrections and send out the medicine in its proper form Most physicians. knowing their liability to error. rely on the dispensing clerk to detect their mistakes and are very grateful to them for doing il. Others. however (the exaggerated ego kind). object seriously to having their pre- scriptions altered and resent having their attention called to their mis- takes" says the New York Herald.
 50 you see. the druggist has to use considerable diplomacy to avoid of- lending the physician and at the same time to save the life of the patient.
 Sometimes. when you take a pre- scription to drug store. the clerk. after reading il. says: This prescrip- ton will take q long time to fill. You'd better not wait for il; come back in an hour or SO That frequent ly means that he has discovered q grave error in the prescription and wishes to consult the physician before filling it.
 Many years ago. when I first start ed in the business. and was to q great extent dependent upon the good will of the physicians for my success. a prescription was brought in one morn ing which. as soon as I read It, l knew meant sure death to the patient if he took the medicine. l told the boy who brought it that he had better come back in an hour. as it would take that long to put it up. In the meantime 1 intended to consult the physician over the telephone, as I was not willing to take chances on killing the patient or offending pr. Roper.
 ''I found that the physician had gone several miles out of town and was not expected to return before afternoon. That was tough. as I knew. from the nature of the prescription that the patient was in d serious condition and needed the medicine at once. So l took the risk, altered the prescription and sent il out
 Toward night the physician came in. Taking him aside. I showed him the prescription and asked:
 Is that all right
 Not by q jugful.' he gasped You didn't send it ont. did you?'
 Yes, sir. about II o'clock this morning. l answered.
 The physician gave me a mortified look, and hurried out to his buggy As he was about to drive off he hesi- tated. got out. hitched his horse again and came slowly back into the store
 There is no use in my going now. he said. for if Jackson took that med icine he's been dead since o'clock
 II gave him q drink to brace him up. and then told him that I had cor rected his error. He gave a long sigh of relief as he said:
 You're all right, Tom. I'll do you q good turn some day. It's lucky thing for me you caught that mis- take-if you hadn't I'd have lost the case and he added as he took an other drink. I'm thinking il was a damned lucky thing for the patient. too"