The Washington times., 1916-02-04
235 DRUGGISTS HERE
PROTEST DRY" BILL
Continued from First PageD

drug trade. would be offered at the
it is Understood that the National Re-
tail Druggists Association. with head
quarters in Chicago, has joined with the
Washington druggists In their protest.
Comprehensive Complaint.
Among the strongest and most com
prehensive letters of protest received by
Senator John Walter Smith, chairman
of the Senate District Committee. was
the following. written by S. L. Hilton,
OF Hutton & Hilton, Twcnty-second and
l. streets northwest:
AS licensed pharma acist OF the
District of Columbia, for more than
thirty years. as an officer OF the
Cnited States pharmaccpoeiaI Con-
Nenlion, which body complies and
publishes the United States Pharma =
copeia, a standard for drugs and medi :
c,nes under the Food and Drugs Act
as member of the revision commit
tee of the National Formulary. an
other standard recognized by the
Food and Drugs Act and as a mem :
Der OF the American Pharmaceutical |
Association. and also its council, | feel
compelled to enter my humble protest
against the passage of Section LOSE,
as now pending.
"F!rst, however want to say that
! am rot championing the cause of
prohibition nor am 7 advocating n
wide open policy on this question. The
pharmacist is not and does not want
TO be n rum seller. The present law
seeris to me adequate and sufficient
with respect to the sale of alcohol and
has already in a few months accom-
piished much good.
~ am speaking only for our special
calling end with respect to pure grain
alcohol. The retail pharmacist. by
the nature Of his calling, the proper
preparation and preservation OF med =
Cines for the sick, Is required to pur-
chase and use pure grain aICohoI 10
pl Operly prepare and preserve same
Lei me point out as forcibly as pos
Sib'" that under no condition WhatSo-
ever do we use grain alcohol in the
prepa tion of medicines or any me-
! diCinal compound solely for the alco-
hol they may contain.
"As vet. with all OF the modern re
search. no on" has been able to pro
| vide any substitute for pure grain alco
| hol in the preparation and preservation
| OF medicines. We would welcome thu
| discovery Of such substitute for man,
| reason one OF which would be the say
| inc OF the amount OF the Government
| tax Of SOS on each gallon.
| IF it Is the general wish and desir'
| to prohibit tho sale and use OF grain
| alcohol as remedial agent. by th'
| public. the pharmacist enters no obicc
| ton. We do. however. object and entc
| our protest against being hampercd II
| obt aiming our legitimate supplies 10
| proper pharmaceutical manufact cturini
purposes. and it seems foolish that W.
! should be limited to the purchase o
| five gallons only. whnr frequently II
| manufacturing Dharmacopoeial and ma
tional formulary preparations. fuid OK
| tracts. tinctures, elixirs. etc. this guam
| uty would be an insufficient supply 10
one davs work. 1t would. therefore
| seem that some scheme could he devised
| whereby the Dharmacist would not thu
| be restricted and hampcred in his pur
| chascs. prohibited from selling to th
public said alcohol. and at the sam
time required to keep record of tn
| use of same used for manufacturing
SAID record to be opene to inspection
| Further I wish to cite that | furnish
| number of physicians with their SUD
plies. to ho used in their private labora
| tol les. test solutions. and reagents 70
| both chemical and micrOscopica WORK
| Pure grain alcohol is necessary re
agent for and In many denominations
BY the terms of s. 1852. VIC will be ab
solutely prohibited from furnishin
| physicians pure grain alcohol for tn
reason that the bill prohibits us fror
selling same for anY purposes. Is thi
Just or right?
AT tn present time there is no pro
fession or calling that is surroundc
of affected by so many laws as tina
of the pharmacist, many of which hav
been enacted at his suggestion for tn
purpose OF keeping out lntOnpct CntS o
properly to protect the public health. $
that today the business OF the rcta
pharmacist is almost law ridden. an
tho average pharmacist cannot te
sometimes whether he is violating som
law or not. The present law gOVCrnin
the sale OF grain alcohol works admin
ably, places the burden on the pur
: chaser and has done much good a
though in working operation a fc'
months. At least % per cent of tn
druggists of the District Of Columbi
: do not sell or keep alcoholic beverage
They have not for moro than twcnt
years. But off the sale OF grain alcoht
, to the public. II II is so desired. w
=. will raise no objection. We do. how
ever object to being hampercd. ovel
, expense in obtaining our supply
. alcohol for true Legitimate. pharma c.
, utical manufacturing purposes, all
which will greatly increase the cost
> medicines to both the rich and 300
: many Of the latter class TODAY heil
: unable to obtain medicines actual
e necessary, owing to the high cost
Q same
9 Government Affected.
Il further desire to call to your a
tention that by the wording Of this hi
1t is more than probable that tho val
-, | ous Government departments, lorat'
n
O seriously hampcrcd In obtaining the
= supplies OF pure grain alcohol, no @
! ception being made whereby they g.
! obtain more than five salons at o.
& purchase. Many OF tho departments
! reason Of the work performed in 4
Il laboratories, arc compelled to use ale
q hol in large quantities.
4 Another feature which seems to ha
:, been overlooked, Is what disposition
e stocks Of malt extracts handled
s druggists. and alcohol hcVcra :
; handled by these at present licensed
f law to hanoi" same, can h" made
this bill should become - law? It W
g be unlawful to hay" same in ones pC
!: session and il may b" Impossible tn Il
X pose Of stocks 1m hand hefor" the Ii
becomes effective" VIII it hay" to
| thrown in tho streets or sewers"
u thrrCfurC then submit !ron' I
standpoint OF tho pharmacist that
a is a self evident fac that The bill "
,e drawn by some ON" ."t g rCniZant
Y, the true facts as far 4. tN" ! harm
riSt j. concerned. that til" solo pu
rose in view Is s"lf -"Nidcnt one
I fanatiCiSm and an effort I" hi
about ahsOIut" prohibition. r"Gal
] loss OF what harm mar he Ion" to
- honorable calling or Il III" sick a
- needy, increasing IT," cost OF m"C
l6 | zinc and nnnCCt SS1rilN hammers