New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-29
SUNDAY MAGAZINE FOR SEPi INiD "

quantity But there still ways left for the phar-
acst to garner few stray bits Of profit from the hand
ling of drugs themselves. In some cases inexperienced
doctors careless ones, not taking the trouble properly
to diagnose a case would, as safe course, prescribe
patent medicines When such prescriptions came in. We
used simply to pour the mixture from the regular patent
medicine bottle into another, write new label double
or triple the price and hand over to the patient
But danger lurkcd even in this method. / remember
one case where a Young doctor prescribed patent prep
aration containing opium. This was given % q baby
which died from the effect The parents tried % hold
the druggist responsible and only after great difficult,
did ne clear himself You see dose that might be safe
for an adult would be fatal to a child There was no
way by which the druggist could have Sacglarici the
patient since no age indicated in the prescription
The only hint as to the years Of the patton, usually
contained in the size of the dose be given an adult
taking a tcaspoonful, a baby five or ten drop,
IaSolcarncd that the relations between physician and
patient are the same the country With the latter
skepticsm and crcdulity go hand in hand The patient
coming directly from the doctor after having his ease
diagnosed and explained to him, will ask the dispenser
confdcntallv Just what the prescription IS De used
for. The Young fellow just from college make, the mis-
take Of telling the qucsoncr and often get himself into
hot water with the doctors.
MANY doctors are wise in handling patients who have
nothing the matter with them. Let me illustrate One
day got prescription that struck me as being quite
absurd and took it 70 the boss He smllci tod me 10
fill it. and charge the patient sixty cents J. called for
aqua pura pure water and tincturc caritmon com.
pound "a mere favoring), and cost about e.ut-botc
cork. and all The pat cnt paid sixty cents for this
mixture and happy, repeating the prescription
several times The comedy touch cam. IN where DE-
further diluted the aqua pura by putting twenty drops
in q goblet Of water and taking tina, way. In short
time he was quite well again. Other 'u-ion-haun,cd
victims get sugar granucs little round pills which
quite ineffective except that they help o. l'-pd the
imaginary malady, whatever that may be.
\ funny yet typical case was cited by the boss one
dav \ customer Of his got for fifteen years. every
week prescription calling for ninety grains g.. starch
and one grain Of salol, divided into sixteen powders
Now. an entire grain Of salol would hardly have been
felt by baby, some adults taking from ten .o twenty
grains at q dose Yet this man was taking ou.--'z'rn,h
Of grain three time, day, and paying fifty cent fora
prescription that cost nothing but five minute, labor
III most. However. where prescription costs only TWO
or three cents it is both tactful and con~ierc for the
druggist if he purposes charging half dollar for The
thing to put it into bottle with nice label and paper
cap. tied round with a pink string which might bring
the grand total up 10 four cents.
Druggists have been charged with Intentionally
nursing along such decisions for their own profit but
they urge that by doing they often the patient
from treatment that nigh, prove really harmful. In
the circumstances, the dough pIl practice may not be
wholly ethical; but 1t i, not immoral.