486  Alcohol:  Its  Relation  to  Science,  Etc.    { ^''yuiy^^9'2o: 
eating  liquors  on  physicians'  prescriptions;  they  should  use  the 
great  influence,  which  collectively  they  wield,  to  aid  in  working  out 
a  solution  of  this  problem  in  a  thoroughly  practicable  manner. 
Under  existing  conditions,  and  in  default  of  a  semi-official  dis- 
pensing system,  an  anomalous  situation  prevails.  The  Internal 
Revenue  Bureau,  so  far  from  being  benefitted  by  the  acts  of  retail 
druggists  who  refuse  to  handle  intoxictaing  liquors  for  the  filling 
of  prescriptions,  is  likely  to  find  itself  somewhat  embarrassed.  It  is 
greatly  to  the  advantage  of  the  Government  that,  inasmuch  as 
intoxicants  may  lawfully  be  sold  for  medicinal  purposes  and  there- 
fore will  be  sold,  they  should  be  handled  by  the  most  reputable 
merchants  in  the  country  and  that  the  traffic  should  not  be  turned 
over  to  persons  of  doubtful  character.  But  does  not  every  honest, 
high-minded  retailer  who,  in  any  community,  refuses  to  fill  pre- 
scriptions for  intoxicants  assist  in  concentrating  the  business  in  the 
hands  of  a  smaller  number,  some  of  whom  may  be  less  conscientious, 
and  thus  add  to  the  difficulties  experienced  by  the  Internal  Revenue 
Bureau  in  preventing  abuses? 
Furthermore,  even  assuming  that  there  are  none  but  honest  and 
reputable  druggists  in  a  given  community,  and  that,  because  there 
is  no  central  dispensing  system,  a  few  of  them  conscientiously  de- 
termine it  to  be  their  duty  to  shoulder  this  burden,  is  it  not  apparent 
that  if  the  filling  of  all  the  local  physicians'  prescriptions  for  stim- 
ulants devolves  upon  a  fraction  of  the  number  of  the  local  druggists, 
their  business  will  soon  assume  a  character  that  will  bring  them  under 
undeserved  suspicion? 
I  regret  that  I  cannot  sympathize  at  all  with  those  retail  drug- 
gists who  have  refused  to  take  out  permits  to  handle  or  use  non- 
beverage  alcohol  as  distinguished  from  whiskey  and  other  beverage 
forms  of  spirits.  I  cannot  see  how  a  modern  pharmacy  can  be 
conducted  without  the  use  of  alcohol.  Of  course,  a  retail  druggist 
may  become  a  peddler  of  toilet  articles,  tobacco,  stationery,  con- 
fectionery and  soda  water,  but  it  seems  to  me  that  he  must  put  his 
professional  pride  in  his  pocket  and  voluntarily  scrap  a  large  part 
of  his  education  as  a  pharmacist  when  he  decides  that  he  will  not 
use  alcohol  in  any  form.  Pussyfooting  should  be  beneath  the 
dignity  of  men  boasting  a  scientific  training. 
To  my  mind,  the  retail  drug  trade,  in  this  connection  presents 
a  clear  case  of  noblesse  oblige.  Because  of  the  high  standing  of  the 
educated  pharmacist,  individually  and  collectively,  it  is  his  duty  to 
