THE PRICE OF DRUGS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 1296, 12 September 1914, Page 4

THE PRICE OF DRUGS.

ADVANCE IN MANY LINES, EMBARGO ON EXPORTS.

The widespread ramifications of the war are perhaps in no respect more marked than in the effect that they arc having; and are likely to have, on the supplies and prices of many varieties of drugs anil other surgical requisites which form an liidispensablo part of the equipment of hospitals and dispensaries. The needs of Ino large armies now operating in Europe have already had the. effect of greatly curtailing the supplies of many drugs required for surgical and medical purposes. Statements criticising the action, of wholesale druggists in advancing the prices of certain drugs have recently been, published, and a reply to those has been made by tin; manager' of one of the Auckland wholesale establishments. “There are hundreds of lines which have not boon advanced more than K) per cent.” an interviewer was informed, “hut there are many other lines of which fresh supplies cannot be obtained. These naturally have become verv valuable, and high prices are being paid for them. Wo do not think that the retail chemists have quite grasped the seriousness of the position, or that thev realise on how many drugs the embargo of the prohibition of export has been placed by the Imperial Government. Our firm spent about Lfoo in cables to London, America, and Australia in endeavouring to secure drugs which are urgently needed, and to obtain the latest information from the source of supplies.”

SOME OF THE DRUGS AFFECTED. One of the cablegrams which' was received from London states that the export of cotton wool, lint, cellulose wadding. bandages, gauzes, and fine chemicals has been prohibited. Another London cable states that the export of the following articles lias also been prohibitediodides and bromides of potassium soda and ammonia, salts of morphia, cocain. formalin, chloroform, carbolic acid, citrates, mercurial salts, bismuth preparations, opium, belladonna, mix vomica, and quinine. A message from New York states that bromides of potassium soda and ammonia are unobtainable, and that the stocks of carbolic acid are exhausted. Enquiries sent to Sydney produced replied stating that bismuth, ether, carbolic acid, bromide of potassium, salicylate of soda salol, snlphonial, phcnacetin. trioual, veronal novaspirin, protargol, and aspiriui cannot he supplied from that source. Enquiries addressed to New York did not produce encouraging replies. One message stated that the- price of peroxide of hydrogen, which is largely used for antiseptic purposes, had advanced bv 75 per cent., whilst a later message intimated that “the largest peroxide factory has closed down owing to its lining unable- to secure tho raw material.” This raw material is peroxide of barium, and Germany is its source of supply, ( allies, it is stated, have been received in Sydney confirming tins statement. ANAESTHETICS AND DISINFECTANTS. A cablegram from the New York house of a well-known German chemical firm states that the chemicals manufactured by this firm can be supplied at an advance of from 100 to 800 per cent, oil ordinary prices. Another; message quoted, which came from London, also shows how greatly the war is affecting supplies of anaesthetics, creosote, olive oil and disinfectants, the export of all of which- have been prohibited. “No shipments from Marseilles during the war,” is an addendum to this message. Tile same authority states that advices had been received to the effect tiiat morphia, tho supply, of which was mainlv dependent upon America, had advanced over 50 per cent, in price in America and that, it would probably advance much more. No cblomiorm is obtainable in Australia and it was added that it was doubtful whether any more could be obtained from America. In tlie case of one particular, drug it was stated by the informant that whereas his firm was recently selling it at 3s 6d a pound it was unable to obtain any in New Zealand even by ottering to pay 14s a pound for it. “Tho outlook in regard to the lines referred to,” lie added, “is certainly' serious, and the only way in which we can protect ourselves and the medical profession is by husbanding our stocks and only allowing small supplies to go out to each customer. Doctors, of course, will have to he very careful in the use of these drugs.” It was "stated that it was expected that stocks of most of the English patent medicines would continue to come to hand at only a slight advance on ordinary prices which would be necessitated by the advance in freights.