July 27, 1872.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
71 
C|e IpjwnMcmtiral journal. 
SATURDAY JULY 27 , 1872 . 
Communications for this Journal, andboolcs for review,etc., 
should be addressed to the Editor, 17, Bloomsbury Square. 
Instructions from Members and Associates respecting the 
transmission of the Journal should be sent to Elias Brem- 
ridge, Secretary, 17, Bloomsbury Square, W.C. 
Advertisements to Messrs. Churchill, New Burlington 
Street, London, JF. Envelopes indorsed u Bharm. Journ." 
SECRET ALLIANCES. 
The letter of our correspondent “ iEgis ” in the 
number for July 6th, has supplied materials for a 
leading article to our contemporary, ‘ The Medical 
Press and Circular,’ under the appropriate heading, 
“ Going Snacks.” No title could he more fitting; 
it exactly conveys the idea of a partnership, of which 
the partners are ashamed, for the secret partition of 
contraband gains. We have already discussed the 
subject of secret alliances between medical practi¬ 
tioners and pharmaceutists from the pharmaceutical 
point of view, and have taken occasion to express 
our dislike to an arrangement which cheats phar¬ 
macy of its dues and provokes jealousies amongst 
pharmaceutists. We do not know that we have 
much to add to the opinions then expressed, though 
we might illustrate them afresh in as many forms as 
Proteus ever wore; but we hail with satisfaction any 
endeavour to bring further influence to bear in dis¬ 
crediting these equivocal combinations. 
We need not now revive a discussion upon the 
equity of chemists’ charges. At all proper times we 
are prepared to meet criticism upon that point, with 
confidence in the issue; but it is germane to the 
present question to say that, unless existing prices 
are unfair to the public, a system which gives a 
douceur often amounting to one third of the whole 
to the medical colleague cannot be profitable. It 
is therefore doubly incumbent upon the Pharma¬ 
ceutical body to discourage these alliances, for they 
are injurious to the interests as well as to the repu¬ 
tation of their order. But there is even a stronger 
reason for condemning them than either ot these, 
and it is to be found in the underhand manner in 
which they attack the business and the business 
character of brother pharmacists, and in the inevit¬ 
able return of ill-will which such covert injuries 
excite. When it is disingenuously asserted by Mr. 
Plausible that his prescription cannot be dispensed 
by any other than the privileged Mr. Blank, and 
Mrs. Plastic is deterred from entrusting her mixture 
of Epsom salts and peppermint water, obscured under 
the cabalistic designation of Mist. Purg. Cardiac., 
to her accustomed chemist, it may be difficult to 
prove the corrupt nature of the transaction, but the 
secrecy observed does not diminish its immorality. 
It is no justification for the depreciatory imputa¬ 
tion that competent and upright pharmaceutists can 
not be trusted to compound medicines from any pre¬ 
scription, that the writer has purposely disguised its 
meaning with the object of making it unintelligible. 
It is as though the Board of Examiners should com¬ 
pile a secret Pharmacopoeia and pluck the candi¬ 
dates who fail to describe its formulae. 
The editor of the ‘ Medical Press ’ feels a natural 
reluctance in believing that members of an honour¬ 
able profession will so far lower themselves as to 
enter into these compacts for a direct money pay¬ 
ment. We agree with him in thinking that it is of 
little consequence whether the quid pro quo is paid 
in malt or meal, and it seems like splitting hairs to 
question where the restraints of professional decorum 
will arrest the man who is at all events guilty of 
the gravamen of the accusation. We fear that tlio 
experience of Chemists will not permit them to 
entertain any doubts upon the subject, nor is the 
secret so well preserved as to escape the knowledge 
of the medical profession. 
The existence and extent of the abuse is really 
not a matter of dispute; the practical question is 
how best to put a stop to it. And here our advice 
to our readers would be in accordance with the fable 
of the young larks nested in the ripening corn. If 
you want a tiling done, do it yourself. It is in youi 
own hands, and you need neither the help of Jupiter 
nor of the medical profession to enable you to accom¬ 
plish it. Medical ethics provide for the good man¬ 
ners of the profession inter se; we can scarcely 
expect them to take cognizance of pharmaceutical 
etiquette, which is as yet governed by no laws, and 
has no claim to propose rules to the medical profes¬ 
sion. Mutual respect and mutual forbearance will 
do more to preserve good relations than any amount 
of well-intended interference. We may,^ however, 
hope that the sensible suggestions of the 4 The Medi¬ 
cal Press’ will receive attention, and that going 
snacks ” will be included in the catalogue of mis¬ 
feasances unbecoming a professional man and a 
gentleman. It remains for us to consider whether 
it should be permitted in a liberal trade; and we 
hope that those who occupy honoured positions in 
our ranks will set the example of discountenancing 
this and every other form of ungenerous competi¬ 
tion. . ... 
We advocate no unreasonable interference with 
the freedom of medical men honestly used for the 
•rood of their patients ; we make no fantastic appeal 
to manufacturers to make public property of their 
secret formulae. Neither patient nor dispenser is hurt 
by the prescribing of secret preparations which it is- 
open to the whole world to procure, e. g, Battley s 
Solution or Brown’s Chlorodyne ; but when such 
empiricisms as Pilula Asiatica are prescribed, and 
the formula is withheld by the preserver the prac¬ 
tice of medicine is degraded, and the fetish of char la- 
