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

ufug trade would be offered at the
II 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. wai
the following. written by S. L. Hilton
OF Hutton g. Hilton, Twenty-second and
l. streets northwest:
AS licensed pharmacist OF the
Dihtrtct OF Columbia, for more than
thirty years, as an officer OF the
tnited States Pharmacepoeial Con-
Nention, which body complies and
publishes the United States Pharma-
copeia, standard for drugs and msdi =
cines 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, l feel
compelled to enter my humble protest
against the passage of Section 1852,
as now pending.
First, however, ! want to say that
] am not championing the cause Of
prohibition nor am I advocating n
wide open policy on this question, The
pnaTmacist is not and does not want
TO be rum seller The present law
seerIs to me adequate and sufficient
with respect to the sale of alcohol and
mas already in few months accom-
pltshed much good.
x am speaking only for our special
calling and with respect to pure era in
alcohol. The retail pharmacist. by
the nature of his calling. the proper
preparation and preservation of medi-
cineS for the sick, is required to pur-
chase and use pure grain alcohol to
pl operly prepare and preserve same.
Let me point out as fOrcibly as pos
sible that under no condition whatso-
ever do we use grain alcohol in the
preparation Of medicines or any me-
dicinal compound solely for the alco-
mol they may contain,
'As yet. with all OF the modern re-
search. no one has been able to pro-
vide any substitute for pure grain alco-
hol in the preparation and preservation
OF medicines We would welcome the
reasons. one OF which would be the saw
Ing OF the amount of the Government
tax OF SOS on each gallon.
II IT Is the general wish and desire
to prohibit the sale and use Of grain
alcohol as remedial agent by the
public, the pharmacist enters no obiec-
ton. We do. however. object and enter
our protest against being hampered in
obtaining our legitimate supplies for
proper pharmaceutical manufacturing
purposes. and II seems foolish that we
should be limited to the purchase of
five gallons only, when frequently I'm
manufacturing Dharmacopoeial and ma
tional formulary preparations. fluid eX-
tracts. tinctureS, eliXirs. etc. this quan-
uty would be an insufficient supply for
one days work. 1t would. therefore
seem that some scheme could be devised
whereby the pharmacist would not thus
be restricted and hqmpered in his pur-
chases. prohibited from selling to the
public said alcohol, and at the same
time required to keep a record of the
use OF same used for manufacturinp
said record to be opene to Inspection.
Further I wish to cite that | furnish a
plies. to be used in their private labora
tories. test solutions. and Reagents for
both chemical and microscopical work.
Pure grain alcohol Ia a necessary re-
BY the terms OF S. 1882. we will be abb
solutely prohibited from furnishing
physicians pure grain alcohol for the
reason that the bill prohibits us from
sclnnH same for any purposes. Is this
Just or right?
AT tn present time there is no pro-
fession or calling that is surrounded
OF affected by so many laws as that
OF the pharmacist, many of which have
been enacted at his suggestion for the
properly to protect the public health so
that today the business OF the retail
pharmacist is almost law ridden, and
the average pharmacist cannot tell
sometimes whether he is violating some
law or not. The present law governing
the sale Of grain alcohol works admir-
ably, places the burden on the pur-
chaser and has done much good al
though in working operation a few
months. At least 90 per cent of the
n rluNa %
DO not sell or keep alcoholic beverages
They have not for more than twenty
years. But off the sale OF grain alcohol
to the public. II II is so desired. We
VIII raise no objection. We do. how
ever, object to being hampered. over
expense in obtaining our supply Of
alcohol for true, legitimate, pharmace-
utical manufacturing purposes, all OF
which will greatly increase the cost OF
medicines to both the rich and poor.
many OF the latter class TODAY being
unable to obtain medicines actually
necessary. owing to the high cost OF
same.
Government Affected.
II further desire to call to your at
tention that by the wording of this bill,
II is more than probable that the Vari-
GUS Government departments, located
seriously hampered I'm obtaining their
supplies OF pure grain alcohol, no ex-
ception being made whereby they G.
obtain more than five gallons at one
purchase. Many of tho departments by
reason Of the work performed in the
laboratories, are compelled TO use alco-
hol in large quantities.
Another feature which seems to have
been overlooked, Is what disposition of
stocks Of malt extracts handled by
druggists, and alcohol beverages
handled by these at present licensed by
law to handle same. can be made II
this bill should become law? II will
be unlawful to have same in ones pos
session and II may be impossible to dis
pose of stocks ON hand before the law
becomes effective. viii 1t have to be
thrown In the streets or sewers?
81 therefore then submit. from the
standpoint OF the pharmacist that 1t
is a SELF evident fact that the bin was
drawn by some ono not CrEnizant of
the true facts as far az the harmP .
CiSt Is concerned, that the sole pur-
rose in view is a snlf-evident one OF
fanaticism and an effort to bring
about absolute prohibition regard %