The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1916-04-17
PRICE OF DRUGS
HIGHEST SINCE
THE CIVIL WAR
State Pharmaceutical Association Pre-.
pares Interesting
Statement.
PRICE OF METOL HAS
INCREASED 5000 PER CENT
Many Chemicals Are Unobtainable !;
Many Reasons for State
of Affairs.

Inc present nigh price OF drugs and
chemicals has never been equaled
even in the times of our own Civil
War, according to Eduard F. Netzer,
of Bemidji, chairman of the Beltrami
county publicity committee of the
State Pharmaceutical association.
A statement received today from
the state association by Mr.. Netzer is
as follows:
Show Big Increases.
The following list shows some Of
the remarkable jumps in price, COM
pairing the prices of July, 1914, at the
outbreak of the European war, with
the high point reached since then:
Belladonna, increased 700 per cent;
Lanolin, 500 Potassium bromide,
1900; Quinine, 1900; Sage, 500; Sa-
lol, 500; Antyprin, 1000; Metol, g.
600; Carbolic acid, 1000; Naphtha-
lene, 500; Phenacetin, 1900; Potas
SUM permanganate, 700; Saccharin,
900; salicylic acid, 900; Thymol,
600; Hydrochinone, 1000.
Experts now say if the war con-
tinues for another year many drugs
and chemicals will be absolutely un-
obtainable by that time and their
places will have to be filled by others
possessing Identical or similar prop
critics. A few drugs are unobtain
able now.
Reasons for Increases, --.-
There are many underlying reasons
for this state of affairs. All of the
vegetable and animals oils have risen
enormously because of the fact that
glycerin can be made from them
and the glycerin then converted into
the explosive nitro-glycerin or dyna-
mite. This is true especially of cod
liver oil, which is being taken by
Germany from Norwegian sources OF
supply. Castor oil comes from a seed
principally grown in India, and Great
Britain, who controls the trade, has
placed an embargo upon the oil, it is
said, because it is one Of the few
oils suitable for lubricating aero
planes.
War is Blamed.
The compounds of mercury, among
which are calomel, corrosive subli-
mate, gray powder, blue mass, blue
ointment, etc., are scarce because
mercury is used in making the COM
pounds known as Eliminates, indis-
pensable for the caps used for ex-
ploding cartridges and shells.
Quinine still maintains it's alb
normally high price on account of the
high figures obtained at the recent
auction sale of cinchOna bark, from
which quinine is made, held at Ans
terdam, the worlds center for this
drug.
Glycerin is enormously high also
on account of it's use in the manu-
facture of nitro-glycerin.
Paris Green High.
Paris Green and other insecticides
are high IN price on account of the
scarcity Of the crude products from
which they are made. Licorice root
and stick licorice have risen to un-
heard of figures and are still going
up, as the Spanish and Italian sources
of supply are exhausted and the Rus
sian supply is not available because
of the closing of the Dardanelles.
Every time pharmacist refills an
old prescription at it's original price,
the chances are he is losing money.
There is no class of substances in
which the rise in price has been so
little felt by the consumer and large
ly equalized by the taking of smaller
profits, as in the case of drugs.