THE ALUMNI JOURNAL HI 



abuses must come from those who stand above them, whose acts 

 are not guided 1)y selfish motives, who honestly wish for the eleva- 

 tion of mankind and condemn a wrong because it is wrong, without 

 consideration of personal gain or loss. The time will come when 

 the better class of physicians and pharmacists will take hold of 

 this question and compel the erring brothers to mend their ways. 



It is not necessary to dwell on the vague and indefinite exclama- 

 tions in which the doctor's article abounds, nor on the old and 

 weak reasons that drove him to dispense himself, viz., the poor 

 quality of drugs in the shops and the substitution of old drugs 

 for new and fresh ones. By reporting such cases to the Board of 

 Pharmacy of his State, he would not only free the pharmaceutical 

 profession of unworthy members, but also assist his fellow practi- 

 tioners in obtaining good results; but by self-dispensing he will 

 hardly cure the sinning pharmacists. 



The most remarkable statement, however, is the following: "I 

 know as an absolute fact that not less than fifty per cent, of all 

 druggists carry on a trade of this sort (counter-prescribing) and 

 that they are in many instances blamable for fatal terminations in 

 persons who might, under proper treatment, have recovered." Is 

 it possible that the doctor was conscious of the weight of these 

 words when he wrote them? Does he actually know 25,000 drug- 

 gists (which is about 50%) who practice counter-prescribing? He 

 does not say "I believe," he speaks of an "absolute fact." Is it 

 possible that one man should have such a vast acquaintance? And 

 he not only knows them by name or sight, he also knows their 

 habits, their doings, their methods. And he also knows of many 

 "fatal terminations" owing to the methods of these 25,000 men. 

 Perhaps he knows of 25,000 murders committed by these druggists. 

 But if he only knows of ONE, does he not perceive his duty? Does 

 he not know that his professional dignity as physician as well as 

 his plain duty as a fellow-citizen require him to denounce the mur- 

 derer and bring him to justice? Does he not know that his failure 

 to do so makes him, from an ethical standpoint, an accomplice of 

 the murderer? In the name of pure pharmacy and medicine, yea. 

 in the name of humanity, I hope that Dr. Servoss will now publish 

 the names of these murderers, whose deeds are known to him as 

 "absolute facts," so that pharmacy may be freed from such abomi- 

 nable members. He owes this to his own standing and reputation, 

 otherwise his wild and indefinite accusations against an honorable 



