Am.  Join-.  Pharm. 
April,  1S02. 
Drugs  and  Food  Products. 
193 
ing  them  palatable,  and,  having  found  the  desired  combination,  notify 
your  physicians  of  the  fact  and  send  them  a  sample  ?  Why  not  have 
a  label  on  every  bottle  or  package,  stating  that  the  purity  of  the 
contents  is  guaranteed,  and  be  able  to  stand  by  your  guarantee? 
With  regard  to  patent  medicine  I  will,  at  the  risk  of  laying  myself 
open  to  criticism,  make  the  following  assertion :  A  druggist  who 
keeps  patent  medicines  countenances  a  crime,  and  one  who  recom- 
mends them  to  the  customers  without  knowing  their  composition  is 
a  party  to  a  crime.  It  is  bad  enough  to  be  compelled  by  the  iron 
rules  of  trade  and  competition  to  handle  these  at  times  dangerous 
concoctions,  but  when  the  question  is  asked  by  the  customer,  Do  you 
think  Paine's  Celery  Compound  is  good  for  my  nerves  ?  the  answer 
should  invariably  be,  either  "  I  do  not  know  "  or,  if  you  do  know, 
that  this  remedy  contains  21  per  cent,  alcohol.  "  Mr.  Smith,  do  you 
think  that  Mrs.  Allen's  Hair  Restorer  will  be  good  for  my  hair?" 
"  I  do  not  know,  madam.  All  I  know  is,  that  it  contains  2-30  per  cent, 
of  lead,  and  is  therefore  dangerous."  How  are  you  to  know  these 
facts  ?  Simply  enough  :  They  are  published  in  the  various  reports 
of  the  boards  of  health,  which  have  the  pure  food  and  drug  laws, 
and  in  the  pharmaceutical  journals,  and  it  should  be  incumbent  upon 
your  committee  on  drug  adulterations  to  collect  these  data  and  pro- 
duce them  at  your  annual  meetings.  To  replace  the  worthless  or 
dangerous  remedies  which  you  cannot  recommend,  put  up  some  of 
your  own,  stating  on  the  label  the  exact  composition.  Never  mind 
about  giving  away  the  secret.  You  will  gain  the  confidence  and 
respect  of  your  customers,  who  will  rather  deal  with  an  honest  man 
than  with  one  who  may  at  any  time  be  accused  of  being  a  cheat, 
without  being  able  to  defend  himself.  Besides,  if  your  remedy  is 
secret,  why  is  it  superior  to  the  patent  medicines  which  have  "  testi- 
monials ?  " 
This,  gentlemen,  should  be  your  ideal — strive  for  it,  work  for  it. 
Take  out  the  education  of  the  public  in  matters  pertaining  to  drugs 
from  the  hands  of  the  unscrupulous  patent-medicine  vender,  and  that 
of  the  physicians  from  the  hands  of  the  manufacturer.  Awaken  from 
the  lethargy  into  which  you  may  have  allowed  yourself  to  fall.  Make 
the  best  of  your  ability  and  special  preparations,  and  above  all  make 
of  yourself  an  important  and  useful  factor  in  the  life  of  the  com- 
munity. It  remains  with  you  either  to  remain  grocers  and  con- 
fectioners or  to  raise  yourself  to  the  dignity  of  a  pharmaceutical 
chemist. 
