156 THE ALUMNI JOURNAL 



Rememberincr that human Hfe is at stake, accuracy is our salvation. 

 Prescriptions should never be dispensed in such a way that the laity 

 can see how the work is done. If a customer sees you measure off 

 liquid in a graduate, he may become nervous by thinking that perhaps 

 you may make an error and give him a drop too much, thereby poison- 

 ing him, his wife, or his child. 



Employ competent help. Tt will cost a little more, but it is cheaper 

 in the end. 



Now, a word regarding some of the "stumbling blocks" that we 

 meet in our practice. Now and then a "stickler" shows up in the form 

 of a peculiar mixture, pill, capsule or ointment prescribed by the 

 doctors, which, if not properly put up will be undesirable. Either the 

 mixture will be bad looking, too bulky, not uniform, or gritty, lumpy, 

 etc., as in ointments, though you have followed the order and used the 

 correct ingredients. There is a great deal of tact to be used in hand- 

 ling some of these cases. We should never consider the waste of a 

 little material if it is necessary to bring about a good result, or to dis- 

 card a poorly made prescription or experiment in various ways to 

 attain the desired end. Neatness in the general appearance of the 

 ointment, capsule or mixture counts for a good deal, and the credit 

 one can get for attaining this end helps to build up our general repu- 

 tation and incidently our trade by gaining for us the confidence of the 

 physician. Never let it be said by your brother pharmacist that he can 

 make up a certain prescription which you have already dispensed and 

 sold better than you can. 



I might illustrate hundreds of prescriptions which come to my 

 notice, but the following examples will suffice to show what mav be 

 achieved by using care and with very little expense: 



(I) 



Codeine 0.6 



Tincture of benzoin compound 30.0 



Sa rup 90.0 



Water 180.00 



M. Sig. As directed. 



By dispensing this prescription in the way it is written, the benzoin 

 will separate and stick to the bottom of the bottle, but, by adding one 

 dram of powdered acacia, the mixture will become uniform and ele- 

 gant in appearance. 



