The Washington times., 1920-07-21
D. c. PHYSICIAN
RAPS KRAMER
0enounces Limitation of Pre-
scriptions and interference
With Patients.
MADE HIM "WET,' HE SAYS
Prohibition Agents instructions
Conflict as to Quantities,
=, Declares Doctor.

Declaring the policy Of Prohibition
commissioner Kramer in regulating
the issuance of prescription blanks
for whisky to be "autocratic, arbi-
trsry, and erratic," a prominent r
, street physician, who does not want
his name mentioned at this time, to-
day said he had been converted from
an ardent prohibitionist to an ag-
gressive -prohibitionist.
INCLUDES DODsoN.
He said he had been treated with
discourtesy-indeed almost as a Grim
inal-embarrassed and humihated by
employees of Prohibition Commission
cr Kramer, including Regional Di-
rector Richard s. Dodson. Of Balti-
more when applying for prescription
blanks. He also said he INTENDED TO
bring the matter to the attention OF
the d. c. Medical Society at the nrst
opportunity and test the authority oil
1.-THE prohibition enforcement agents
to regulate the numbers Of prescrip'
tions issued.
"Mr. Dodson told me-" said the
physician, that. regardless of the
number Of patients l have, whether
they suffered from tuberculosis dia-
betes, anil general debility. he would
not issue me a book OF 100 pre-
scriptions in less than ninety days.
He told me he intended to regulate
the issuance Of the blanks to 100
year-that that was all there was
to 1t. He refused to give me an
other book, although I had not used
the last one I had in thirty days, the
original period allowed physicians TO
issue 100 prescriptions for whiskey
to their patients"
INVESTIGATED PATIENTS.
The physician also is angered over
the policy of Investigating his patti
ents by inspectors Of the office OF the
prohibition commissioner. He SAID
he volt nteered the names OF his pa
tients to whom he had prescribed
whiskey.
..Tney took the names and sent an
inssector around to the homes of my
psstients,- said the physician. each
Of the patients were asked why the,
needed whiskey and for what all
ment 1 prescribed whiss<ey for them.
1 understand the prohibition enforce
ment inspectors nre checking UP on
ether Washington physicinns.
"I am determined at al hazards and
apparent wrong as it affects the ad-
ministration of malt extracts, brown
stout, beer, claret and the remain
ing beverages of low alcoholic con-
tents, which have been prescribed
since time immemorial by physicians
as food, tonics and stimulants to
their debilitated patients without
meddlesome interference on the part
of anyone.
CHANGED HIS VIEWS.
ct have been forced in the interest
of the deserving and afflicted, to
raise my voice in earnest protest
against the attitude of the prohibition
commissioner in telling me which of
my patients should have stimulants
and the amount to be prescribed.
THIS change Of sentiment is due
solely to the erratic, arbitrary, nuto-
cratic, not to say senseIcss policy,
followed by the Secretary OF the
Treasury, the prohibition commission
er and his various regional directors
in their Interpretation and enforce
paent Of the Eighteenth Amendment.
In applying for book of whiskey
prescription blanks at the office of
the Prohibition Commission the other
day. the physician asserts. he was
confronted by young man, whom
he called a Cigarette fiend."
"It seems a poor policy for the
Prohibition Commissioner to have in
his office employees who cloud the Of
fice with cigarette smoke" said the
physician. II spoke to the employer
about smoking in my presence and
he promptly told me he would smoke
when and where he felt like 1t. He
could not even answer the telephone
without putting away at a cigarette
I feel the cigarette evel is worse
one that whiskey.
DEFENDS ID. c. DOCTORS.
"The charge that Washington physi.
clans are exceeding the privileges
granted them to issue prescriptions
for whiskey is not true. There may
be n few Washington physicians who
have issued more prescriptions than
they should, but 1t does not appear to
me that officers in the office of Pro
hibition Commissioner Kramer have
the constitutional right to say who
needs whiskey, or stimulants. A
reputable physician will not prescribe
whiskey as stimulant unless he
feels his patient needs II. I consider
myself a reputable physician. of un.
impeachable character, and / feel my
friends and patients Will vouch for
this assertion"
In pointing out the regulation OF
the prohibition commissioner that a
patient can only receive a pint OF
whisky for medicinal purposes in ten
days. the physician directed atten-
tion to Kramer's instructions to physi-
clans. The physician said that the
directions for prescribing whiskey
are set out plainly-thnt the physiciau
.hopid prescribe n ~ineElnss OF whi--
key after meals for eases Of general
debility, etc.
a. wincsIsss contains two ounces
|. he said. There nre sixteen ounces
10 q pint OF vki-key. Then. " the