p. 9 | Drugs and Doctors by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Jul 18, 1911

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 38, No. 28.

Drugs and Doctors

By Editor

SOME time ago the "New York World" investigated drug stores in New York. The "World's Work" declares that the results were terrible. Three hundred prescriptions were presented to pharmacists in all parts of Manhattan. These prescriptions were filled by the druggists and then presented to noted chemists. Fifty per cent of the preparations were found either worthless or positively harmful. In many cases the results would have been dangerous, where such prescriptions contained digitalis, strophanthus, and other powerful heart stimulants. The "World's Work" remarks that it is bad enough to have one's coal short-weight, or short-weight groceries, but these the law will remedy. Not one person in a thousand can know whether a prescription is filled with fresh and effective medicines. We are told that druggists themselves commit little frauds — that if they do not have the particular chemical called for, they supply something else which has, to their mind, the same effect. It is further said that the druggist is under peculiar temptation, because he is continually selling a large amount of patent medicines, most of which he knows to be either positively harmful, or decided frauds. And there you have it.

The "World's Work" suggests that there are ten times too many drug stores, some of them utterly unable to pay rent without selling cold drinks over one counter, which drives the drinkers to buy patent medicines over the other. What the public need to know more than anything else is that drugs do not cure, can not cure. They may relieve and assist nature in some cases. They may be necessary in some great crisis; but in most cases they only relieve symptoms and deceive the one who is ill. The lesson is, leave off drug taking, and put in their place fresh air, exercise, good food, and a clean conscience.

And Doctors

The "World's Work" contends that we have too many doctors. It points out that in France, with a population of 40,000,000, there are 17,000 physicians — one to every 2,353 persons; England has a little more than 40,000,000, with 32,000 physicians, or one to every 1,250 persons; while America has 120,000 physicians — one to every 833 persons.

Dr. Flexner's report on medical colleges, made to the Carnegie Foundation, recommends the extinction of 124 out of 155 of the existing degree-giving schools in the United States and Canada. Doubtless the claim is true that where there are so many doctors, and many of them, like other men, unprincipled, it is quite an advantage, many times, for a physician to keep a patient sick, especially if the patient be a wealthy one.

We agree with the "World's Work"; there are too many doctors of certain kinds. What the individual ought to do is become conversant with the general laws of health himself; and while he would respect the intelligent, conscientious physician, he would have very much less use for the ordinary.