The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-04-12
KANSAS COAAENT
REFORM NEEDED HEBE

frequently one hears of the death or
at least a close call for the victim
caused by taking the wrong kind of
medicine or swallowing something the
nature OF which they did not know.
Laws have been passed and ordinances
ADOPTED to prevent medicine peddlers
from throwing samples around on peo-
Pie porches, or in mail boxes. Usually,
following the death or serious illness
OF some child caused by its having eat
en- box of Purple Pills for Particu-
lar People, or some other nostrum.
there is a great rising up of the people
demanding protection from that sort of
thing. There has been for years
growing demand for more care in
handling medicines, poisons, etc, until
at present the strictest examinations
must be passed before a drug clerk can
sell and compound prescriptions. If a
man who has been studying his bust
ness should happen to make a mistake
and give you quinine when you wanted
ipecacuana, you would have seven fits
in quick succession and proceed to raise
particular cain with the gent. You
would have him fired, peddle the news
of his inefficiency throughout all the
neighborfng counties, and otherwise and
in divers ways get his goat good and
proper. All this notion is bred into
people as a means of protection from
folks who do not know their business
dealing in the poisons contained in
various kinds of remedies, invaluable
when properly handled. Frequently
you will read in the papers where some
body took the wrong medicine, or too
much. There is a strict protection of
law thrown around the public in their
dealings with drug stores. Poisons
must be handled with the greatest oe
care, and sold only on prescriptions, TO
responsible parties, and for purposes
stated to the druggist. These facts
make a form of "bootlegging" in poi
sons very profitable. Numerous toilet
articles, innocent in appearance, are
actually dangerous.-Newton Repub-
lican.
-
THE GAS SITUATION.
Sometimes it is good thing for the
public to get up on its hind legs ana
howl. Had it not done so after Judge
Pollock made his famous (some caii
it infamouS) order to the receivers OF
the Kansas Natural Gas company ap-
pointed by him to raise the price OF
gas a great hardship would have been
worked upon the people. Right IN the
midst of winter the prices would have
been more than doubled, a great many
could not possibly have afforded to |
pay it and would have been forced to !
go to the expense of putting in coal
stoves. But the people howled, they
made it very hot for the court and ne
hesitated and finally turned the matter
of local rates over to the state utilities
That body has just de-
cided that there is no occasion for the
increase.
The state board had a thorough in |
vestigation made and became con-
WINGED that the Natural Gas company |
had film TANNED Judge Pollock. They
had made it appear that they were on
the verge of bankruptcy when, as a
matter of fact they were making as
much money as they ought to be per-
mitted to make. They made it appear
that there was insufficient gas to sup
ply the demand and the state board
has discovered that they could have
sufficient supply if they desired it
Times. -