NEW FAITH CURE.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 9 February 1917, Page 4

NEW FAITH CURE.

COLOURED WATER PRESCRIBED FOR INSURANCE PATIENTS. Evidence described by the chairman as "very serious'' was given by an anonymous witness, a chemist, before the commission which is investigating the working of the National Insurance Act in England. The unknown said that he dispensed between 25,000 and 30,000 Insurance Act prescriptions a year. At first ninety-nine out of a hundred patients C or the medicines or appliances they required, and then ther. c was a shortage in the drug. Doctors were harassed and worried by the Insurance Commissioners to keep the drug bill down, and thev prescribed cheaper and less useDoctors deliberately refused to crive p»iients what they thought was n-iisarv. A dibbled formerly had aspirin, had been five* something that -as quite valueless, the doctor -having been surcharged on account of his prescriptions eighteen months ago. Tlie doctors were not to blame. They were limited to 5d per preoption. One doctor prescribed picrate of ammonia, which was harmless and valueless and colored the water in the bottle yellow That was given to a man who was mad with neuralgia. He should say about with neuralgia. He should say that Bist y per cent, of the prescriptions were humbugs. More than one-thi.d of the prescriptions -ore given with the object of saving the cost of the drags. It paid him better to give coloured water. The Chairman: If you refused to give people coloured water what would happen?— There would be a revolution.