The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1941-05-07

morse ana DU0gB DOCtoF, lOIloHeu
by Country Editor, Country Par
SON, Hoss Doctor, and now we
have Robert B. Nixon, Jr.'s ac-
count Of his father, called Cor
aer Druggist (Prentice-Hall, Inc,
publishers, New York, 194D.
The corner drug store still exists
and suppose there must be some
good reason why corners are Sc
lected, although | am not so sure
| understand it, but the corner
druggist, in the old sense of the
word, is largely disappearing. He
was the neighborhood druggist,
Just as the doctor was the neigh
borhood doctor and the minister
was the neighborhood minister.
His position, as Mr.. Nixon says,
was at once the most obscure and
the most important in his COM
munity. He performed the great
est service for the lowest pay.
Apprentice at Seventeen
The corner druggist here de-
scribed, began his apprenticeship
when he was II years old. He
lived over the drug store. He was
available day and night. He did
good deal of medical practice in
the way of prescribing for common
ailments. So far as | can see, he
did it pretty well. He took care Of
a great many illnesses at a cost
which the patient could afford to
pay and filled place in the prac-
tice Of medicine which l am not
sure was supplied by the regular
medical profession. The Public
Relations Counseis of the various
druggists associations tell me that
this practice is dying out but | am
not so sure but what it is good
practice. Your baker now sells
you vitamins, why shouldn't your
druggist sell you simple herbs?
1.-THE old-fashioned neighbor-
hood drugstore was an institu-
ton unique in American life. .. Z.
A Neighborhood Accommodation
"The corner drugstore was an
accommodation center much like
the modern filling station. People
come there to use the telephones
or the rest rooms, to get free maps
and free information, and occa-
sionally to buy. So it was with the
drugstore. Father said that loaf
ers bought cigars in other places
and came there TO smoke tnem !;
that they bought drugs somewhere
else and came there to be enter
tanned. People dropped in for the
weather report, to look at the Their
mometer, to buy two-cent stamps,
to have specks taken out of their
eyes. -.
Father, like most old-time
pharmacists, cursed the people
who came to talk instead of to
buy, but he would have been lost
without the gossip and hustle
around him. Because he was on
duty eighteen hours a day, he had
no opportunity for any other So
cial life. The familiar story was
of the pharmacist and his friend
-. who were playing checkers.
The latter whispered, Doc, a Gus.
toner just came into the store
eyes, I know. Keep still. May
be he'll go out again
Long Hours for Low Pay
The average neighborhood drug
gist has a hard time keeping his
head above water, or staying a
few steps ahead Of the sheriff. +.
Suppose a druggist fills six
prescriptions a day at sixty or
even seventy-fve cents. Let us
say it is all profit. That makes
$3.50 or $3.50. Let us say his aver.
age daily business is thirty dollars.
That is very fair average. His
profits cannot possibly be over
one-third Of his gross receipts.
That gives him ten dollars. He
must pay store rent, light, heat,
and relief clerk, and usually he
has boy to help him."
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
S. DIS oatmeal, eaten every
morning, harmful for a bad liver,
and what would you advise for a
bad liver?"
Answer-Oatmeal is not harm.
full for anything, but is a highly
nutritious and well-balanced ar.
ticle Of diet. Doctor Johnson once
sneered, "The men and horses in
Scotland both eat oatmeal" and
some Seotehman in his audience
replied, "And where will you find
such men and such horses?" The
term "bad liver" is too indefinite
to attempt to explain. bad liver"
is term loosely used for anybody
who feels out Of sorts, headachy,
ETC., and the liver usually has
nothing to do with the condition.
, .n-aNar 20 ort., . ao,,-ta "a $50