266 
A  Suggestion  to  Physicians. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
June,  1876. 
Some  eight  or  ten  years  ago  the  writer,  while  preparing  a  larger 
quantity  of  the  resin,  by  the  officinal  process,  saved  the  washings,  and, 
by  evaporation,  obtained  an  extract,  which  was  employed  by  several 
physicians,  and  found  to  possess  some  advantage  as  a  mild  laxative., 
more  particularly  applicable  for  children  and  feeble  adults.  Whether 
these  properties  are  of  sufficient  importance  to  warrant  retaining  as 
officinal,  an  extract  and  resin  of  jalap,  remains  to  be  determined  by 
further  investigations,  to  which  we  would  herewith  direct  the  atten- 
tion of  the  readers  of  the  "Journal."  But  the  point  appears  to  be 
well  settled  that  the  gummy  extract  obtained  from  jalap,  by  water, 
after  previous  exhaustion  by  alcohol,  is  destitute  of  medicinal  proper- 
ties, and  should  be  omitted  in  the  next  revision  of  the  "  Pharma- 
copoeia." 
("  This  prescription  must  not  be  renewed"} 
A   SUGGESTION   TO  PHYSICIANS. 
BY   HANS  M.  WILDER. 
The  above  words  (or  something  of  similar  import)  are  familiar  to 
every  dispenser,  and  are  to  be  found  printed  on  nearly  every  kind  of 
prescription  blanks.  I  would  respectfully  suggest  that  said  words  be 
written  every  time  when  found  necessary,  in  order  to  save  the  dis- 
penser a  great  deal  of  trouble. 
The  trouble  comes  in  this  way  :  Suppose  a  physician  prescribes  a 
very  active  preparation  (and  perhaps  in  an  unusual  dose)  which  he  does 
not  wish  to  be  renewed  ;  he  relies  on  the  printed  formula  and  on  the 
dispenser's  common  sense. 
Suppose,  further,  that  said  medicine  has  done  the  patient  a  great  deal 
of  good,  and  he  wants  it  made  over  again,  he  comes  again  himself  or 
sends  somebody  to  the  drug-store.  There  now  ensues  a  conversation 
somewhat  in  the  following  fashion  : 
The  dispenser  expresses  his  regret  that  he  cannot  comply  with  the 
wish  of  the  patient ;  but  the  physician  does  not  want  it  done. 
"  How  do  you  know  ?" 
"  Why,  you  see  here,  this  prescription  must  not  be  renewed." 
u  Well,  but  that  means  nothing,  I  am  sure.  You  see  it  is  printed, 
and  will,  of  course,  apply  to  everything  written  on  the  prescription 
paper.  Suppose  the  doctor  had  prescribed  sweet  spirits  of  nitre,  for 
instance,  you  could  surely  not  refuse  to  renew  that." 
