The Columbia evening Missourian., 1921-07-19
ENGLISH DRUG
STORE DRIER
THAN AMERICAN
British Chemists Shop Sells
Neither Sodas Nor Candy
but Deals Literally
in Drugs.
WAR. PRICES FOR SOAP
Visiting American Can Get His
Favorite Toilet Articles
at Home Prices in
Britain.
BY MARcAnE1 WaLrrR

LoNBoN, July l9.-The sight Of ar
airy shop with big plate glass windows
displaying artistic arrangements OF dain
iy boxes tied with ribbons or tinted
fwine, groups of prefiily shaped bottle.
and colored sireamers fiuttering in the
blasts from electric fans means one thing
and one thing only TO an American. The
corner drug store. the tinkling sound oi
ice. glis;ening white marble. silver and
crystal, great bowls of berries and or
anges. 1t means cooling drinks, deli.
cions connections Of hzzy water. fruits
and pounded ice.
Bui-be Warned-noi 10 the American
abroad. England knows not the joy Of
the corner drug store. The Briiisher's
drug store is a drug store, literally. 50
he calls it chemists shop. The most
frivolous things he would dream of ask,
ing for there would be hot water bot
lie or a dose Of sprude salts. The Brit
ish drug store is dry Of everything. des-
Ell dry, except drugs.
But in spite Of its limitations. the
chemists shop is the mosl Aourishing OF
all commerce at this moment, and the
prices of things 10 be found there are
not dropping so that anyone can notice
them. The chemist makes his shop pay
without any of those side lines that bring
profit to the corner drug store. II al
mod makes ii look as If the Britisher
uses more drugs than We do in spite OF
having no prohibition to drive him 10 it.
One great subject of difference be
tween American and English people is
their attitude toward sponges. There
are Two enormous firms in London which
handle nothing bui sponges- In spite Of
the agitation Of the last ten years against
sponges for toilet and sick room use, ey-
cry English man and woman has a
sponge. Ii may have grown Shiny and
brown with age; no matter. il is pre-
ferred above all other things; part OF
tie daily cold bath ritual. English pco-
pie return from America bringing as
curios, wash cloths done up in hermeti-
eally sealed cellophane envelopes such
as they find in their bath rooms in
American hotels. think they use them
as towels.
A number Of American drug manufac-
iurers and soap and perfumery firms
have re-opened their English branches
and yon can now gel American products
at prices to correspond with those in
America. There is not the great dis.
arepancy that there used TO be betwcsn Il
American and English prices. The us
iting American can now get his favorite
proprieiory medicines with the name ol
his own pet manufacturer stamped on
the lid or wrapper. his own Florida va
Ter and shaving soap and her special lii
salve and vanishing cream without feel
ing that outrageous prices are asked.
Soaps stay al the high prices the,
reached during the war. The reliabl,
makes rose from twelve 10 fouriee:
cents cake and they have moi com,
down. Essences and perfumes are get
ting more expensive every week. I'm
ported distilled flower preparations ar
SO expensive that they are only handle,
by firms which cater for exclusive trade
At the summer sales, in which ever,