ON PRESCRIBING NOSTRUMS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1455, 1 June 1912, Page 6

ON PRESCRIBING NOSTRUMS.

' f'Sm—ly : wisli' : to' draw your attention to ' the/fact'i. that "doctors in New Zealand.'-'-' . frequently: prescribe medicines oi\whieH/z, : the composition;; is. unknown to them, -1 r do;not now-refer to what aro cornnionly ]< : known ns "quack- medicines," which are. advertised and sold in tho shops, but to. i Whnt are known in the- trade as . I "ethieaiK ■ ;9 ■':remedies', ■ Take,;", for inM.r.ice, "ergo'Tliig was prescribed.- t«Xa?fHend?-r ; iof: miiie, '.who* paid 12s'. per tm;?:)ocally? ; '. .Her doctor" assured her lie knowiitifeoni- 1 :. Vposition, and that it did not ■ ergot. I have ascertained since'" that it ; *, ;does--;contain 'ergot,'.and' this, istyory 'iiii'--portant,'becatiso. ergot. is a .thing.'to 1>« - ; cautious''obout. - It cannot bo:; estimated!' f chemically, and - tho ,-oiily. way-'.to know ; : for* certain; what strength yqu';:aro' :; usirig : /' ■ i'sMo-; feed it to cocks,, and s (jheiiv eqinbj' turn-iMack.'i; Thinking*:.tha. i pricis hifh, I . sont^lOs./V'toifr the" ractstal.;. ■ ■ nutl;er„ in 'Nexr I"crlc, ivho sent- : -mc 1 hrf-O; it)hs!;;vl| : also found out .whcre Sthe-'local-,',;. ; . Jehcihist'gqt. his-.Mippliess-andTwherg-'tlicy', , taint from. They were, got fi-oiu London. -, The,prices rati: London •!=! Sd.,' Wellinc;- ~ J toil is. 3:1, local !2s, .. Xcw did you ever! ; ; Had; Hit/doctor ivi-ittoii; p]ainlv/:sbrnuclr ■' 1 oil of. parsley, so much ergot,'we should ■;' liaye pot for :>/few shillings at least tho . ■ anHiv.i'.'; m three tiiis; ; .-?5:0C.,... ;■ ~ J Dqt'.ors also prescribe "ethical" rem». ; /dies'; of whieh-i thsyfKkhowftliegcomirosfc 5 f.tioiiSbufc tho ; ' object'-' to.? - Take' HromidiW.-. This was , ,prescribed to,n"friend.'-H I 'hatf'lio'nieana/); : oft knowing 5 not have let' her" take it. : The dose-he." i, gave' 1 her contained .more chloral than I'.. ; ' should tako myself, and'i.also.a correspond-;;.'.' ' ;ing amount of. bromide*;. She describes it;/ ■ ?as a "devilish" niedicirielV ■ Had I-known'/: ■ ..the ingredients'Fshould"have given-' her : : ■■ one-fourth what ho ; did. .1; iilicl-* eight.' 1 .. ■ .grain's.. of .'Peo'plo". differ ; . vci\v--'i?u!c}i. . Tho. price.'.ofißroniidia is 1 ;" oiit'of all proportion', to;' the 'value' 1 of tho • ■ingredients.!.' l -, Chloral., is- 1 cheap,, and Bro-. ; ' : rnido ..extremely,.so. -/Another. doctor, pie- : 'iscribcnl her ''aiiiillamnia'/wifjiout/al word I .' ; ; 'of;';wari!ing. v . A' 1 cefc<nilidei;Ss; Aiid'Jtlie ■■■■ ' fprice/isay -25." Sd; fofi what : ? : cbste.o«ly\ ■ 4d.' T ".v.!!!'ii. bought,, as-a- cHanllide. And 1 • .fmothor queer-thing js'tlint..the ! : i »rbpric.-.'', < tors "substitute pheuacetin for'acotanilideiU 'in"countries.-where a cetamlide ia. prnki■bitedi ■ So tho familiar A.K. is no duo 1 ■:i:o conleiits. ■ ("Journal of the American : Medical Ass6ciat-ion/'-. ; ...Tannary 2fi, IRfiT.V. ■ Silo, was on;'another»"occasion ordered t0.*.;,Ktalw. "Purgen.", This'is merely- phenol-.; ■ phihalein.: Vou can buy it. in Wellington 1 : 1 ., .rat. 2s. per,; ounce;-and as n j 2s. pocket of , ■■.''Purgen"/; contains only, a few . grains,:'- . ■ voiii-'pay.- twentv. 1 times .the,.value, .besides. : 1 .: .vnot knowingi.what, you,:-are taking:;-. Uasti thing 1 have sr-en - prer.cribcd is "JKesiiiolJsThissis, very' expensive,. con-.V; : "sis!s , -..;0f--'vaseii!ie. find snirits of' tnr;.. and;«?, 'any chemi; t • coshl. ;nal-:o a 3s. tid., pot . Don't von-'think' dociovs' prescriptions j should l:,e-:coniiii'ed to remedies,recognised "'. in the ,I'harniiiciipciar—l- am. :; ' .