The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1916-01-10
PLAN Federal HELP
FOR DRUG INDUSTRY
Bureau Of Mines May Ask Con-
gress to Act to Prevent
Medicine Famine.
tcontInued trom Flrst Page.l

CONTINUED from First Page)
bacilli. and such like. the prices Of
their natural enemies, drugs OF va
rious kinds being beyond the reach
II those whom they attack.
Congress May Act.
The Bureau Of Mines has Investigated
the famine OF drugs derived from coal
tar products. and may recommend TO
Congress that assurance he given Ameri-
car Wholesale druggists that II they
start plants for ;he manufacture Of the
basic materials for synthetic drugs they
viii not be driven out OF business at
the close of the European war by price
cutting and the dumping of great guam
titles Of raw material on the United
States markets.
Secretary Rcdield has recommended
TO Congress that dye manufacturers in
this country be given such an assuF-
tnce, and the Bureau of Mires Il ron-
sdering making similar suggestion
with regard to the drug industry.
The drug shortage, although due prl-
marty TO the cessation Of coal tar h.'-
product shI pments Is partly attributable
TO ctnbbrgoes placed on consignments of
leaves, banks, and roots needed by
Aiuericon manufacturers.
Castor OIL. for instance, which was
purchased for cents a pound before the
scarcer every day The reason for this
increase Is said to be an embargo
which Great Britain has placed on the
shipment Of castor beans from India.
Practically all castor beans from which
the oil is made are grown in India. The
castor bean plant saps the life out OF
the sell and few countries wish to
waste their land by growing 1t.
Price of Quinine Leaps.
Qulnine has jumped from d cents an
ounce to Sl.25. Quinine 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 nine-tenths of her cinchona bark.
hence the decrease in shipments to this
country, and, so say the manufacturing
druggists, the high price OF quinine.
Creosote. used extensively in the
treatment OF pulmonary diseases. has
! increased in price from 60 cents a pound
TO $3.50. Germans and England have
control of the creosOte supply OF the
world and have placed embargoes ON
Its shipment.
Glycerlne and carbolic acid are used
IN enormous quantities in the manu-
| lecture of explosives and other war
munitions. This is said TO be the rea-
son carbolic acid, a coal-tar by-prod-
uct, is selling for 81 a pound instead
I IL
and why slycerine Is sold for 20 cents
instead OF ~.
| Little carbolic acid can be bought
| even at 10 cents q pound. and 1t is
predicted that 1t viii soon disappear from
the market entirely. This would be
| hard on sufferers from rieuma tism, be-
| cause salicylc acid comes from car
bolic acid. and salicylic acid is the most
efficacious and widely used remedy for
| rheumatism.
| Permanganate notash usa5 ov,on.;,,a
~ as dislnfectant. particularly by
boards OF health for fumigatlng large
institutions where infectious and COM
municable mAladies have been discoy-
| cred, sells for $3.50 a 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 guam
titles OF mercury are being used in the
field hospitals in Europe for the treat.
ment of wounds. This, together with
an embargo on mercury, has boosted
the price OF the drug from 50 cents a
pound TO $3.50 With 1t went bichlo
ride OF mercury tablets a recent favor,
lite with suicides. In consequence there,
Of, IL costs three times as much L
shuttle OFF the mortal coil with bicholo
ride of mercury tablets as it did be-
tore the war. Calomel, mercury pro
duct. has increased i'm price from a
cents a pound to 1875.
Salol and phenacetine, two of tn,
principal weapons with which doctors
= fight grip. are coal tar by-products
and consequently the price of each .,Ri
greatly increased. Salol. which coul,
be bought for 50 cents a pound befor,
the war. now sells for 50 pound, ant
phenacetine has jumped from 3S cent?
an ounce to I.e5 Phenolphthaleiu
used extensively in the manufacture a
laxatives, is also a coal tar by-produc
end has jumped from $3.50 a pound u
SO
Belladonna, used to a large extern
in the treatment of heart disease, comes
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 a pound
Mamma and SIENNA, popular as house
hold remedies, comes from leaves O
trees in Italy and Egypt, respectively
and embargoes have been placed 81
both. Mamma sells for $l.25 now, al