Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-06-06
STATE CONVENTION IN WATER.
LOO TO DEAL WITH PATENT
MEDICINE PROBLEM.
CONTROVERSY WITH MAKERS
REACHES ACUTE STAGE
Retail Dealers Threaten to Refuse to
Handle Medicines Sold in Other
Places or vsndsd BY PsddIsrs-Su.
promo Court Rules on importars:
Question Of Damages for Injury.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines. June S.-Iowa druggists
are going to have one o. their biggest
and best conventions in waterloo this
summer; and one of the big things to
come up there for disposal is one vi
tally affecting the trade and the rela-
ton OF the druggists To- the makers OF
medicines. The patent medicine prob
lem has become acute.
AS generally known, the makers OF
proprietary medicines formed some
years ago a very strong national as
ISOLATION which has devoted Itself to
offsetting the propaganda against the
use of such medicines. The association
naturally desires to extend the sale
of its medicines and wants to nave
them placed in general stores and at all
nlaces of convenience for the trade.
Right there they come into conflict
with the association of druggists who
do not want medicines sold in other
than drug stores.
An ugly fight was precipitated last
winter near the close of the leSlsla-
ture by appearance of bill which was
intended to fix license OH vendors OF
proprietary medicines, virtually to
heavily tax the entire business. Inc
responsibility was laid at the door OF
the druggists and there was much III
feeling aroused.
Committees have been at work to
plan a working system as between the
druggists and the makers of patent
medicines and possibly compromise
will be effected. At present there Is
threat Of the druggists throwing out
all patent medicines that are sold to
department and general stores and sold
by peddlers. If the strain becomes
much harder there will be break be-
tween the two elements. To effect
peace will be one of the main things to
be tried out at Waterloo.
In reversing the $4,000 damage YER
dict against the Rock Island railroad
from Guthrie county the supreme court
discussed one Of the techn1calities OF
the law which so largel, govern dam
age cases.
The reversal depended on an instruc-
ton as to how to fix the measure OF
damages for one who had been Grip
pied for life and made wholly help
less. The lower court Instructed the
Jury to use certain tables of life ex-
pectancy in ascertaining the probable
duration of life OF the plaintiff in the
case. The higher court reversed be-
cause the tables used and Endorsed
refer to the expectancy of life OF q
healthy person and not Of one in-
jured as this nan was. Obviously the
measure of damages fixed would be
too large under the erroneous instruc-
ton.
II the man had been killed the jury
would have taken into account for
pain and suffering only that which
he endured in the few days or hours
before death: as an injured man the
jury must consider all he will endure
if he lives as long as an injured man
might be expected to live. All OF which
shows again that it is cheaper for an
employer to kill an employee than to in
jure one.
Examination is in progress at Iowa
City of class in the state medical
school, The outcome Of the exam will
be awaited with interest. Recently u
large class was examined here, mainly
students or former students Of the
Drake medical school, which is to be
abandoned. There will be comparison
between these students and the ones
turned out under state direction.
The proper committee of the Amer
lean Medical Association or some SINH
lar body has listed the medical college
at the Iowa State University as one in
a. list of seventeen regarded as the
mos, complete medical schools in the
United States.
Now that Drake is to drop out the
effort is to be made to maintain the
state school as the best in the west
1t is probable that Ottumwa will get
a rate on switching charges In that
city similar to the rate made for Des
Moines, Cedar Rapids and Clinton. The
railroad commission made very sat
isfactory investigation of the situation
there and found there is a vast amount
of commercial switching done in the
railroad wards. Times was given for
the filing of all the necessary papers
and briefs in the case when decision
will be rendered. In the three cities
named the rate fixed is three-quarters
of cent per hundred pounds as Il
switching charge. 1t is working out
well in Des Moines.
A number Of lawyers in the state
representing life term convicts seem to
have the idea that when new COVER
nor is installed that is just the time to
get busy on any application for parole
that has been turned down in the past.
But the situation is different from
what II once was Now when an ap-
plication comes to the governor for