The Washington times., 1916-01-10


their natural enemies, drugs OF va
rious kinds. being beyond the reach
OF those whom they attack.
Congress May Act.
The bureau of Mines has Investigated
the farlinc of drugs derived from coal
tar products. and may recommend TO
Congress that assurance re given Ame"i-
car Wholesale druggists that If they
start plants for he Manufacture of the
basic materials for synthetic drugs they
viii not be driven out Of busi,Iess al
the close Of the European war by Irice-
cutting and the dumping Of great guam
titles Of raw material on the United
States markets
Secretary Rcdfeld has recommended
TO Congress that dye manufacturers in
this country be given such an assur-
Auce, and the Bureau of Ni"es is ron-
sidcring MAXIM. similar su2ges,i III
with regard to the drug Industry.
The dru" shortage, although due pr!-
marty TO the cessation Of Cual tar n.'-
product sh ,pnlents. Is partly attributable
TO ctnbhrgocs placed on comsignments Of
leaves. barks, and roots needed by
Anericc n manufacturers.
Castor OIL. for instance. which was
purchased for 8 cents O pound before the
war, nov! brings IS cents. and is getting
scarcer every day. The reason for this
increase IL said to be an embargo
which Great Britain has placcd on the
shipment Of castor beans from India
Practically all castor beans from which
the oil is made are grown in In lila. The
castor bean plant saps the life out Of
the sci. and few countries wish TO
waste their land by growing 1t.
Price of Quinine Leaps.
Quininc has jumped from D cents an
| ounce to SIS. Quininc comes from
| the bark OF the cinchona tree, which
grows in Holland. That country prac-
| tically supplies the world with the bark.
Germany has contracted with Holland
| for ninetenths of her cinchona bark.
hence the decrease in shipments to this
country, and, so say the manufacturing
| druggists. the high price of quipine.
Creosote. used extensively in the
treatment OF pulmonary diseases. has
! increased in price from 90 cents a pound
! to $3.50. GermanS- and England have
| control OF the creosote supply of the
world and have placed embnrpoes ON
Us shipment.
Glyccrine and carbolic acid are used
N enormous quantities in the manu-
| fscture of explosives and other war
: munitions. This is said to be the rea-
| son carboiic acid, coal-tar by-prod-
| uct, is selling for - a pound instead
Of Is cents. the. price before the war.
and why Slycerine is sold for 20 cents
| instead OF q.
Little carbolic acid can be bought
| even at 70 cents pound. and 1t is
predicted that ii will soon disappear from
| the market entirely. This would be
| hard on sufferers from rheuma tism, be-
cause salicylc acid comes from car
| bolic acid. and salicyllc acid is the most
! cfficacious and widely used remedy for
| rheumatism.
~ as a disinfectant, particularly by
! boards of health for fumigatins large
! institutions where infectious and com
municable maladies have been discoy-
| ered, seliS for $50 pound now, as
compared with 10 cents before the war
! broke out
Britain Controls Mercury Trade.
The worlds mercury trade is con.
trolled by Great Britain. Great uuan.
titles OF mercury are being used in the
field hospitals in Europe for the treat,
! ment or wounds. This. together with
an embargo on mercury, has boostec
the price OF the drug from 80 cents d
I,nunU to *2.U. With it went bichlo
ride OF mercury tablets, n recent favor,
itc with suicides. In consequence there
of, II costs three times AS much Il
shuttle off the mortal coil with bichoto
ride Of mercury tablets as it did be
iole the war. Calomel, a mercury pro
duct. has increased in price from n
cents a pound to Sz35.
Salol and phenacetine. two of III,
principal weapons with which doctor.
fight grip. arc coal tar by-products
and consequently the pi1ce OF each "a,
greatly increased Salol which coulf
be bought for 50 cents a pound befor,
the war. now sells for 81 pound, ant
phenacet has jumped from 3S cent.
an ounce to SIS. Phenolphthaleiu
used extensively in the manufacture q
| laXatives. is also a coal tar by-produC {
end has jumped from $3.50 a pound u
SO.
Bellsdonna. used to large exter
in the treatment of heart disease, come,
from the leaf OF a tree raised exclusive
| ly in Germany, which IS said to accoun
, for the fact that the price has vaulte>
! from - cents to $3.50 n pound.
Mamma and SIENNA. popular as house
hold remedies comes from leaves O.
trees in Italy and Egypt. respectively
| and embarSoCs have been placed 0I
| hnth Mnnna sells for 81. % now q!