The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1916-11-24
DR.. VORBECK TO
TEST LEGALITY OF
PHARMACY LAW
Employs M. A. Dempsey and
Senator Lane to Fight the
State Board.
DENIES BOARD CAN
DESTROY PROFESSION
Arbitrary Authority of Commits
siOners Can Ruin a Physi-
clan, He Shows.


Dr.. J. c. Vorbeck yesterday employ
ed Senator Thomas F. Lane and VI. 4.
Dempsey, two well-known attorneys,
to defend him against the State Board
of Pharmacy, which is endeavOring to
revoke Dr. Norbeck's certificate to
practice pharmacy.
DR.. Vorbeck was given d license to
practice pharmacy by the State Board
in 1901 and practiced under it for
eight years. He permitted his license
to elapse in 1909 by not paying the
annual tax of 81. He was not prac-
! ticing pharmacy at the time and per-
mitted the matter to go by default.
When he was ready to open the
Vorbeck- Dohogne drug store on Good
Hope street several months ago, he
sent the State Board the amount of
the penalty for permitting his license
10 lapse, together with the total amount
of the license for eight years. After
holding this money for a month, the
board returned it to DR.. Vorbeck with
statement, declaring that he would
have to take another examination. In
the meantime certain druggists in the
Cape furnished the board with the in
formation that DR.. Vorbeck had en-
ployed druggist who was not licensed
to practice in this State, and the board
threatened prosecution.
DR.. Vorbeck wrote the president Of
the body letter, inviting him to go
into the courts and test the law. The
physician also declared that he had
no intentions of taking the examina-
ton. "If / was a druggist when |
began the proctice Of the profession in
1901, | must be iuSt as competent to
practice it now" DR.. Vorbeck con-
tended.
He also says that the action Of the
board is prompted by spite work on
the part of certain individuals in this
city.
DIR. Vorbeck last night issued the fol-
lowing statement, explaining his posi-
ton:
The State Board Of Pharmacy,
knowing that am not only prac-
titioner of medicine and surgery, but
that | was a qualified pharmacist of
the State of Missouri for ten years
before their present law, which the
druggists association slipped through
the State Legislature went into etfeci,
presumes to harasS me into relln-
quishment of my right to practice a
profession which not only studied for
but which | actually carried through
with many sacrifices.
after spending twelve years in lit
erary institutions fitting myself for
the study of medicine and pharmacy,
and walking two miles to college every
day for eight months during three
years, l qualified myself for the prac-
tice of medicine, surgery and phar-
macy in the State of Missouri. |
qualified in these professions and have
in my possession certificates from the
State of Missouri showing that | have
submitted the proper evidence of my
qualifications to practice them.
"The State Board of Health knows
my ability and accords me the right
to handle and dispense to the public
any drug, poison or medicine under
the sun; but despite the fact that l
also have a certificate as a registered
pharmacist, the members of the State
Board of Pharmacy demand that l
either employ a druggist or permit
them to again examine me or rather
quiz me on the subjects of materia
medica and pharmacy. Why? Be-
cause they either are urged or they
are inclined to use their official power
as an engine of malice and spite. The
law permits them to accept the phar-
macy certificate l have as an evi-
dence of my qualification to practice
pharmacy in the State of Missouri, but
they prefer to arbitrarily oppose this
course. They prefer to weed me out
in the language of the president Of
the board and l take it that this would