THE  AMERICAN 
JOURNAL  OF  PHARMACY 
JULY,  1902. 
CHEAP  DRUGS,  OR  SOME  OF  THE  FACTORS  INFLUENC- 
ING THE  QUALITY  OF  VEGETABLE  DRUGS.1 
By  Henry  Kraemer. 
While  the  earlier  records  of  trade  show  that  adulteration  and  sub- 
stitution  of  articles  of  commodity  were  practised,  it  is  very  probable 
that  this  was  not  done  because  of  the  demand  for  a  cheap  article, 
but  that  the  needs  for  the  article  might  be  met,  particularly  when 
the  supplies  were  low.  It  is  also  probable  that  competition  was 
instrumental  in  reducing  prices,  and  that  this  was  followed  by  the 
cheapening  of  the  products. 
To-day  there  is  a  great  demand  for  cheaper  articles,  or  "  some- 
thing just  as  good,"  and  he  is  an  exemplary  merchant  who  can  say, 
"we  give  you  what  you  ask  for  regardless  of  our  pecuniary  interests, 
and  we  make  quality  the  first  consideration  and  price  secondary  in 
all  our  dealings." 
There  probably  has  never  been  a  time  when  drugs  of  good 
quality  could  be  so  easily  obtained  in  most  cases  as  to-day.  But  as 
Dr.  Rice  said :  "  A  great  many  members  of  our  profession,  it  is 
feared,  are  afflicted  with  a  chronic  willful  blindness  in  regard  to 
purity  and  genuineness  of  drugs;  many,  at  least,  seem  to  care  but 
little  about  the  quality  of  the  articles  they  receive,  so  long  as  they 
appear  to  be  genuine  and  are  salable." 
A  great  many  are  paying  the  best  prices  for  the  poorest  articles, 
as  aloes,  buchu,  sarsaparilla,  calamus,  ginger,  etc.,  and  they  do  not 
1  Read  at  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting  of  the  Maryland  College  of  Pharmacy, 
February,  1902. 
(3ii) 
