542 
Editorial. 
f  AM.  JOUB.  PHAR}  . 
\     Nov.  1,  1874 
(SMtorial  Department* 
Druggists  and  Patent  Medicines. — Under  this  heading,  we  have  received 
a  lengthy  communication  from  one  of  our  correspondents,  Mr.  James  W.  Long, 
commenting  upon  the  speech  of  Mr.  S.  M.  Colcord,  extracts  of  which  we 
printed  upon  pages  445  and  446  of  our  September  number.  Mr.  Long  argues 
that  the  drug  and  pharmaceutical  business,  like  any  other,  resolves  itself  into 
a  question  of  bread  and  butter,  and  that  the  apothecary  is  compelled  to  sell 
patent  medicines  ;  his  object  is  not  to  defend  the  medicines,  but  "  the  druggist, 
who,  to  eke  out  a  living  or  to  make  more  money,  sells  them." 
We  find  nothing  in  Mr.  Colcord's  remarks  averse  to  the  position  taken  by 
our  correspondent ;  the  former  stated  distinctly  his  views  in  attributing  this  state 
of  things  to  the  universal  law  of  demand  and  supply  ;  that  the  demand  is  created 
by  appeals  or  advertisements  directed  to  physicians  and  the  public,  and  gener- 
ally in  spite  of  apothecaries''  aid  and  influence  ;  and  that,  as  far  as  pharmacists 
are  concerned,  a  thorough  education  will,  as  a  rule,  prevent  them  from  becom- 
ing successful  nostrum  proprietors. 
We  feel  compelled  to  endorse  this  position,  and  particularly  the  views  of  the 
elevating  influence  of  sound  knowledge  ;  but  even  if  this  should  be  accom- 
plished, as  far  as  every  physician  and  pharmacist  in  the  land  is  concerned,  the 
demands  by  the  people  for  patent  medicines  would  not  cease,  and  hence  our 
correspondent  is  perfectly  correct,  when  he  says,  that  arguments  against  these 
preparations  should  be  also  addressed  to  the  public.  Upon  the  manner  in 
which  this  may  be  done,  individual  views  may  differ;  but,  for  years  past,  we 
have  felt  convinced  that  a  plan  similar  to  those  published  on  pages  90  and  350  of 
the  present  volume  would  accomplish  more  towards  reducing  the  number  of 
proprietary  medicines  and  dangerous  compounds  indiscriminately  sold,  than 
ever  so  many  pamphlets  addressed  to  the  public,  or  resolutions  passed  by 
medical  or  pharmaceutical  societies. 
To  illustrate  the  difficult  position  of  the  pharmacist  with  the  public,  in  re- 
lation to  this  question,  we  copy  the  following  from  the  communication  of  Mr. 
Long  : 
"  The  pharmacist  puts  in  a  stock  of  drugs  and  fancy  articles,  and,  after  read- 
ing attentively  the  teachings  of  the  pharmaceutical  colleges,  imagines  he  is  a 
true  disciple  and  has  the  thing  about  complete,  when  in  comes  a  customer, 
demanding  a  bottle  of  Perry  Davis's  Pain  Killer.  Upon  being  told  that  it  is 
not  kept  in  stock,  an  uncomplimentary  remark  is  made  as  to  the  store,  and  the 
customer  goes  to  the  nearest  general  store  and  procures  it. 
"  Now,  there  -are  two  things  left  open  for  the  pharmacist :  one  is  to  tell  the 
man  that  he  does  not  keep  Perry  Davis's  Pain  Killer,  but  he  can  mix  him  some 
tincture  of  capsicum,  ginger,  number  six,  oil  of  peppermint,  and  a  half  dozen 
other  things,  and  make  him  a  pain  killer,  or  to  procure  some  of  Perry  Davis's 
Pain  Killer.  If  he  takes  hold  of  the  first  horn  of  the  dilemma,  the  physician 
will  pitch  into  him  for  prescribing,  and  the  only  thing  left  for  him  is  the  second 
alternative. 
"  Here  he  finds  a  business  El  dorado.    These  large  patent  medicine  houses 
