The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1937-09-16
Merchants Warned Of Illegal
Sale of Aspirin and Drugs
Inspector Investigated Condi-
tons In City Last Week
Thursday

Inspectors Department Of the Min
nesota State Board Of Pharmacy,
made a thorough investigation of
business places in Sank Centre,
last week Thursday His investiga-
ton took him into practically every
store, restaurant, beer tavern,
news stand, and other outlets in
the city. He reported finding aspir-
in and aspirin substitutes, which
cannot be legally sold outside Of
the premises where licensed and
registered pharmacist is on duty.
He stated that arrests are pend
ing.
Inspector Meurling explained
that our state pharmacy laws are
absolutely mandatory for safe
guarding public health. Careless,
unschooled and unethical handling
Of drugs, drug compounds, chemi-
Gals and poisons is dire health
menace, intolerable and unthink-
able in a civilized community, said
Mr.. Meurling. The health of the
children, men and women is infin-
itely of more Importance than the
ring of metal in cash registers.
Drug dispensing belongs solely to
men and women, who know deadly
potentials, as well as the relief and
health promoting powers, which
reside in drug compounds. The
smallest and most innocent look
ing white tablet must be supervised
in it's selling by those, only, who
know, and they in turn are under
the supervision of the Board, the
representatives OF the people.
Another serious menace, which
the pharmacy laws rarely give
thought to, is the possibility of
added outlets for the dread narcot-
les traffic, which can occur II
drugs and drug compounds are
permitted to be sold promiscuous-
ly. Mr.. Meurling stated that 1t Is
costing our national and state gov
ernments millions Of dollars an
nually in the war with Illicit mar
cotics, not to mention the hides
cribable tragedy of myriad human
bodies and spirits enslaved beyond
all hope of redemption by dope"
Anything that goes into, the body
for the relief of pain and thera-
peutic purpose can alone be ethical
ly administered and understand
ingly so by persons who are hcens-
ed, supervised and registered.
Supervision Of all drugs at In
stantly accessible registrations,
which the pharmacies now assure.
is q safeguard the public will not
give up.
In one aspirin compound substi-
tute, formerly sold in hundreds OF
places until the law stopped Its
sale, was found upon laboratorical
analysis to contain not only aspir-
in, but acetanilid and phenacitin-
a rather dangerous combination OF
heart depressants, which would
prove fatal in any person suffer
ing from a severe cardiac disorder.
therefore" stated Mr.. Meurling,
1--WE are forced to make many ar
rests. It is not the intention of the
State Board to make wholesale ar
rests. In the Twin Cities, Duluth,
in towns and villages, the pharm-
acy laws were violated in many in
stances. In every case the courts
uduQeu uOWH COINiCtioho oAo AA~~-
posed fines averaging fifty dollars
per conviction. Among the drug
items picked up on the arrested
premises, which can only be sold
from establishments where there
is a pharmacist in attendance,
were aspirin, aspirin compound
substitute, alkalizers, "stay-awake"
tincture Of iodine, milk of magne-
STA, pheno-barbitol and spirit Of
Compton. The cleanup campaign is
in its infancy, but our coverage Is
penetrating even the farflung
highway service stations and the
deep woods resorts"
After all is said and done, the
well-being of humans, both physi-
cal and spiritual, comes before
anything else. Those who prefer
anything else must be taken In.
When you or I, he stated, find our
selves critically i'll, facing death
itself, we do not turn to any Tom,
Dick or Harry to administer pail
iative drugs or healing medicines,
we turn to the medical and phar-
maceutical professions. In their
hands, often repose our very life's
continuance. Therefore, he con-
cluded, the public itself demands
that our state pharmacy laws be
observed one hundred percent.