490 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. [December 17,1370. 
to os. (‘id. I 11 fact the medicine is charged as much 
as the visit and more than chemists now charge, 
as will be seen by reference to the table we published 
last week. 
This tariff speaks for itself, and it is unnecessary 
to point out that the charges are altogether above 
those made by pharmaceutists furnishing the purest 
drugs, and specially trained to the most accurate and 
careful dispensing. AVe do say, in conclusion, that 
the mouth of the Lancet is effectually closed upon 
this question, by the fact of these charges being 
sanctioned by a body of medical men after careful 
deliberation, and more especially by the commenda¬ 
tion of the report in which they are recommended 
by the organ of the largest medical association in 
the United Kingdom. At least, those who live in 
glass houses must not throw stones. 
AYe deprecate the discussion of this subject in the 
spirit that has been manifested by some writers, and 
especially regret to find the charge of extortion again 
launched against druggists indiscriminately and 
anonymously in the pages of the Lancet, as is done 
in the following letter which appeared there last 
week; and in the paragraph referred to, which has 
gone the round of the papers :— 
“ Sir,—The accompanying quotation (the substance of 
which is stated to have originally appeared in the Lancet) 
tends strongly to confirm the opinion that druggists’ 
charges are frequently so exorbitant that one of two 
courses must be adopted in order to afford those medical 
practitioners, whose patients are chiefly of the working 
classes, a better chance of getting recompense for their 
services by preserving to their comparatively poor pa¬ 
tients much of the money now extorted from them in 
the shape of enormous charges by druggists for the me¬ 
dicines prescribed. 
“ That the case of overcharge referred to in the Lancet 
is far from being a solitary one is quite certain. I can 
adduce others, and I doubt not that most medical prac¬ 
titioners, who know the original price of drugs, can do 
so also. The charges, or rather over-charges, may not 
be, as a rule, so great as in the example recorded by your 
correspondent; but I know that they are very frequently 
excessive, and, in justice to medical practitioners and 
their patients, such extortion ought to be brought to an 
end. 
“ To remedy the evil, one of two courses, as I have al¬ 
ready said, seems necessary—either let the medical prac¬ 
titioners in towns unite and have a laboratory, from 
which their patients may obtain their medicines at a 
price merely sufficient to cover all expenses connected 
with the laboratory, or let every practitioner supply his 
own patients with the medicines he may prescribe for 
them. Superfluous professional pride must bo cast aside. 
“ I am, Sir, yours truly, 
“Justice. 
“ Edinburgh, Xov. 26th, 1870.” 
The following is the paragraph referred to in the 
above letter:— 
“ Druggists and their Charges.— A medical corre¬ 
spondent of the Lancet relates that not long ago he was 
informed by a young lady for whom he was prescribing, 
and who had been some little time under his care, that 
she could no longer afford to take the medicine ordered, 
as she was charged 4s. for every six ounces of it. Think¬ 
ing there must be some mistake, the doctor sent for the 
druggist who supplied his patient with the compound, 
and inquired the reason of the exoroitant charge. Tho 
druggist assured him it was the usual charge made by 
other people as well as by himself. This, however, did 
not satisfy the doctor, who put on his hat, went straight 
to the nearest druggist’s shop, and returned trium¬ 
phantly with a bottleful of the same physic, for which 
ho had paid only 1-9. 6d. for the six ounces, or at the rate 
of 9 . 9 . for thirty-six ounces instead of £1. 49. Unless the 
first druggist had tho excuse that he thought the modi- 
cino prescribed would do tho young lady more harm 
than good, and therefore put difficulties in the path, his 
conduct is unjustifiable; but the case shows how neces¬ 
sary it is for invalids to study their druggist’s bills in¬ 
stead of, as at present, jumping to tho conclusion that 
the more disagreeable the taste the higher should be tho 
charge for the medicine. Probably by taking a little 
trouble in selecting an honest druggist, the same physic 
may be obtained cheap and nasty, and quite as effectual. 
-Fall Mall GazetteF 
Nothing could well be more vague and unsatis¬ 
factory than these quotations, considering the nature 
of the imputation they convey. As a contrast to- 
them, we refer to the letters published this week in 
our correspondence columns, and, at the same time, 
as a remarkable illustration how little ground there 
is for the strictures we complain of, we may point 
out that complaints have reached us from several 
quarters of the unreasonably low prices charged by 
some druggists for medicine. Complaints of this, 
nature have actually been made by medical men. 
YEAR-BOOK OF PHARMACY. 
The members of the British Pharmaceutical Con¬ 
ference will learn with pleasure that the Year-Book 
is completed, and that as soon as the transactions, 
of the Association are in type, the whole volume 
will be ready for distribution. AVe are enabled to 
state that besides ordinary intelligence relating to 
English and Continental Pharmacy, several papers 
have been contributed by Air. John Cargill Brough, 
on Chemical Nomenclature and Notation, and on 
the Anaesthetics. An attempt has been made to 
represent the present state of American Pharmacy; 
an elaborate precis on the Cinchonas, and the or¬ 
ganic bases described in the Montpellier prize 
thesis of Lacote, together with additional trans¬ 
lations from the French and German, have been 
added by Air. Joseph Ince. The autobiography of 
Air. Deane, properly belonging to next year’s record, 
has been republished by general request. 
AVe understand that the Chair of Chemistry at 
St. Bartholomew’s Hospital lias been tilled by the 
election of Air. AV. H. Bussell, who has been for 
some time Lecturer on Chemistry at St. Alary’s 
Hospital Aledical School. 
AVe notice with pleasure that active measures are 
being taken to establish a local Science College at 
Liverpool, and that a considerable sum has already 
I been raised for carrying out the project. 
