Omaha daily bee., 1910-03-21

gathered It, not from NnthropolosisEi
but from a test In the Nfmical laboratory
that has been devised to detect the pres
ence OF human blood. Quantities OF hui
man blood are injected into the blood YES
sells OF a rabbit at intervals for several
days. This makes the little animal few
erish and restless. After a certain time
has elapsed the "humauized" blood OF the
rabbit is taken, and It will produce certain
well recognized effects when applied to
any other than that OF a human being or
a monkey. In dogs, cats, guinea pigs.
horses and all other animals, except men
and monkeys. this reaction will take place.
with monkey blood II behaves exactly as
with human blood. In tests to discover
the presence OF human blood, the merest
trace Of It will stand revealed and posi-
lively identified.
one would suppose that the drug market
would be immune from the attacks OF the
man who seeks to Corner something, but
as a matter OF fact nowhere else IL the op-
portunity so great and so much improved.
Where It may take $40. OOO.0OO to corner tho
wheat market, a few hundred thousand
dollars will effectively corner the market
on a given drug. Then the operator is ready
TO name his price. and often he sells at an
advance OF from 100 to 800 per cent As the
prescription charges OF the average drug
glst remain the same year in and year out.
the advance comes out OF his pocket.
Just now there is a war on between tho
doctors and a certain association OF drlA
Eists. About 1900 druggists have formed a
syndicate for the compromising and sale
Of a line Of preparations made from the
best prescriptions that have come to them
in tho course OF business. They advertise
widely, declaring that it is foolish to pay a :
doctors fee and a prescription fee when J
Just as good a remedy may be had for less
than the prescription would cost, OF course,
the doctors do not like this, and In some
cities have ~boycOtted the druggists who
carry these goods. In many cases II has
sufficed to bring the druggists to terms.
That there is a vast profit in proprietary
remedies is shown by the census figures,
In a certain year It was found that tho
wholesale value OF patent medicines was
s75, 900, 900, and that the cost OF the mater
ials entering into their manufacture was
S21, 900, 900, a gross profit of nearly 300 per
cent. The retail price was more than oouble
this amount. One OF the stranges anomalies
Of the scientific world is the fact that while
every physician who presor4bes must he
licensed after a rigorous examination, and
every druggist who fills the prescription
must undergo a like examination. any man.
without let or hlndrance other than the
Limitations OF his own means and ability,
may go into the business of making and
selling proprietary remedies and manu-
featuring drugs. He has the life and death
Of thousands of people in his hands, as
Improperly standardized drugs may result
in the death of all who use them. In some
cases, as in the antitoxin for rabies, tho
federal government has taken Jurisdiction
over the preparation, but in the great
majority of cases the people have little to
protect them except the reputation OF the
manufacturer.
In the matter Of biological preparations
the Homeopathic pharmaoopoeia makes use
of a wider range OF substances than the
allopathic school,. In the former one finds
ambergrls, taken from the intestines Of the
sperm whale; fresh fox liver. fox gail. dried
fox lungs, crushed honey bees, boosting
poison, fresh cock reaches, spider webs and
even fresh bedbugs. No data 1t at hand as
the manner Of collecting the latter or the
prices paid.
1t is said that there are more than 100000
people seriously i'll in the United States
every day of the year. One visit out OF
every three a doctor makes results in the
giving of a prescription. 1t Is stated than
not one physician In five possesses a copy
Of the United States Pharmacopoela, a-
though every prescription that he issues ID
imposed to be based on that work. Most
doctors possess dose books which give them
the data without reference to the phar-
m~acopoela,
Several new medical preparations are be-
ing placed on the market every day. One
big drug manufacturing concern spends
S2sO On a wear on its laboratory. Here
trained scientists are trying to evolve new
things for the good OF humanity. One
man has spent years in trying tosmake q
dermiclde. Another spends years in
with pneumonia serums. While
physicians have made many Of the valuable
discoveries in the realms OF medicine, tn
majority OF these have recently come from
the laboratories OF drug manufacturers.
BIZ FREDERIC ]. HAsKIN,
Tomorrow-'Prsvonting Accidents"