The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-11-03
EUROPE'S NEEDS
N ARE IMPERATIVE
Cuinine Costs Five Times as Much as
It Did a Short Time Ago-Glycer-
inc and Cod Liver Among Commodi-
ties Which Have Jumped in Price.


oldest pharmacist, says the New York
Sun.
Nor is this the worst of it. Not
only are many drugs selling at figures
which would be prohibitive but for the
necessity which compels their purchase
at whatever price, but there are many
others which in very short time can
not be obtained for love or money I'M
less the belligerents lay down their
arms in the next few weeks. The
country is actually threatened with a
drug famine.
There are several contributing
causes, all based on the war. The
United States, according to a New
York manufacturer, depends on Europe
for IS per cent of its supply. Europe,
otherwise occupied this year, is not
producing more than a very small frac-
ton of the normal supply of herbs and
other plants which go to make up most
of the household remedies and pre-
scriptions.
Then, because of the embargo on
shipments only small part of the
products which might otherwise be
sent here finds its way to this country.
Lastly, the necessity for drugs is much
more widespread in Europe during the
war than in this country. Not only do
her own factories utilize the bulk of
the home grown botanical products, but
the European distributors are beseech-
| ing American manufacturers to ship
back the medicines which have been
made here from European plants.
| Out of this extraordinary situation
/ has arisen a group of spectators,
whose activities are contributing ma
terially to the high prices Manufact-
urers, foreseeing famine in raw
products, are conserving such supplies
as they have and are paying fancy
prices to increase them. The New York
wholesale drug market was described
by a retailer recently as "a Wall street
with slower action on the money
Meanwhile, as is inevitable, the in
valid is the sufferer, financially as well
as physically. Quinine costs five times
as much today as it did a month ago.
In two weeks the wholesale price has
risen from 40 cents an ounce to 1925
Manufacturers are talking now of sub
stituting South American cinchona
bark for the product of Java, the
source of supply normally. But the
percentage of yield of the South Ameri
can bark is very low and the substitu
tion would result in heavy increase
in the cost of production.
Glyeerine, too, is on a rampage. Eu
rope has shut off virtually the entirt
supply of crudes entering into it
manufacture and the local stock i
4 low. In consequence the wholesal
1 price, normally 20 cents to % cents
1 pound, has jumped to So cents. How
! ever, this increase is not likely to af
feet the selling price of the man.
/ patent medicines of which glycerine j
3 an ingredient While this stock last
the dispenser of "patents' may b
depended upon to sell without aug
/ mentation of cost, at whatever til
I loss In some eases the price, like tn
\ name, is "blown in the, bottle, = an
generally it has become as standardize
as the trade mark itself.
Included in this class may be men
/ toned a soothing concoction for whic
infants are reported to cry and fl
n syrup preparation bearing "a native so
appelletion. This, despite the fac
that SIENNA leaves, imported from In
1 dia, have risen in price from 4 10 t
80 cents, and the Egyptian produc
from 9 to 80 cents. In this same cate
CORY are liniments and ointments.
If the war continues till next sprin
4 grandma may be forced to look abOu
for a substitute for her tried and tru
camomile tea. The leaves come sfroI
4 Germany and Austria and the whole
salers are paying 30 cents pound NOR
I for them than in times of peace. TIL
4 hOrehound herb, another old STANDBY,
which is an Austrian product, ha
R jumped from 6 cents to 10, and Iii
I orice, imported from Smyrna, has rise
i from cents to 20.
III Cod liver OIL despite its name,
4 made from crude oils which com
z from Norway, not Boston. The COS
II of the crude product has advance
4 from $40 to $50 the barrel. Accordin
q to a wholesale druggist some of tn
cars in the recent Astor Cup race WEI
4 fed on castor oil instead of crude OF
4 because of the shortage in the latter
\ supply. The castor bean is of Sout
4 American growth and is unaffected b
n the war.
H. Here S an item which spells disa1
n pointment when the Thanksgiving dil
= ner is served. Sage has risen from
cents pound to 80. Thyme and 9th,
sweet herbs, for which America lool
to France, also have advanced
Still other increases are shown in ii
NJ following list of articles for whic
! this country depends on Europea
n Turkey. In each case the wholesa
price is quoted: Permanganate of 20
ash, IL cents to $1.15; olive oil,
cents to - cents a gallon; Russia
cantharides, IS cents to $4; dog gras
a. to 60 cents pound.
~ The Mexican war is responsible f,
jump in sarsaparilla from cents
II. France and Germany buy lart
quantities of this product from ii
American manufacturers.