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                          CANADIAN DRUGGIST.

    VOL. I.       TORONTO AND STRATHROY, AUGUST, 1889.       NO. 2.




                        THE CANADIAN DRUGGIST,

                    5 Jordan Street, Toronto, Ont.
                          And Strathroy, Ont.

             WILLIAM J. DYAS,       Editor and Publisher.

                Subscription, $1 per Year, in Advance.

                   Advertising Rates on Application.


     The Canadian Druggist is issued on the 15th of each month, and all
     matter for insertion should reach us by the 5th of the month.

     All cheques or drafts, and matter intended for the editor, to be
     addressed to Box 438, Strathroy, Ont.

     New advertisements or changes to be addressed


             CANADIAN DRUGGIST, 5 JORDAN STREET, TORONTO.




FIRST RESULTS.


In our first issue we spoke confidently of the future prospects of this
journal, as to its filling a want in Pharmaceutical journalism in
Canada, of a certain recognition by druggists as THE organ of the
profession and of encouraging words from Pharmaceutical friends. We are
glad to say that we have not been mistaken in our expectations. From the
Provinces of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island,
Manitoba and British Columbia we have already received congratulatory
letters as well as subscriptions, one and all virtually agreeing in the
verdict, “Just what we needed.” Appended are extracts from a few of the
letters received:

“Allow me to congratulate you on its make up, which I consider good.”

“Congratulate you on your first number and do not doubt your success.”

“Very complete and well calculated to find favour with every Canadian
chemist.”

“Congratulate you on the make up and contents of the CANADIAN DRUGGIST,
and wish you success in your enterprise.”

“Was pleased with the first issue of your journal and found a number of
items that would be of interest and use to the druggists of this
Province; trust that you may have the success that your enterprise most
assuredly entitles you to.”

“Find the CANADIAN DRUGGIST the most interesting paper for druggists in
the Dominion. I wish you success.”

One of our advertisers says that within two weeks after the publication
of the first number, he had business enquiries from two druggists in
Prince Edward Island and one in British Columbia, the extreme easterly
and westerly Provinces of our Dominion, mentioning the advertisement
which appeared in the CANADIAN DRUGGIST leading to the transaction of
business with them.




INSURANCE OF DRUG STOCKS.


By mutual consent of all fire insurance companies (and when will they
not agree to increase their own profits by raising rates), the rate on
ordinary drug stock is higher than ordinary merchandise rates, claiming
the greater risk on the former class. That this is not the case is shown
time and again from statistics which clearly prove that although drug
stock may and does include goods which are of a particularly inflammable
nature, yet the precautions taken, the description of containers in
which these goods are kept and the usually small proportion of them in a
retail store has reduced the number of fires originating in such
premises to a very small percentage of the total fire losses.

In Philadelphia a “Druggists’ Mutual Fire Insurance Company” has been
formed, and has issued a large number of policies. Would it not be well
for the druggists of Canada to consider the question either of concerted
action on their part to compel the insurance companies to give us more
reasonable rates, or failing in this to establish a company on somewhat
the same lines as the Philadelphia company? We append some extracts from
the Druggists’ Circular, showing the feeling which exists in the United
States in this matter:

At the annual meeting of the Ohio Pharmaceutical Association, held in
1888, a committee was appointed to investigate the subject of mutual
fire insurance. This committee has recently made public the results of
its work from which it appears that the druggists of that State pay
pretty dearly for their insurance. It is estimated by the committee,
from all that they can learn, that druggists by protecting themselves on
the mutual plan can save from one-half to three-quarters of the money
now expended for premiums.

There has long been an exceedingly strong suspicion in the minds of
druggists everywhere that the rates usually charged them for insurance
against fire were extravagant. When protesting against these charges
they have been confronted with pictures of the terribly dangerous
character of their stocks--how their stores were magazines of highly
inflammable substances, which by the breaking of a bottle, might in a
moment be involved in destruction.

To show that a pharmacy is in fact a rather safe place, so far as fire
is concerned, we may quote from the report above referred to that in
Cleveland the loss to retail druggists from that cause during a period
of eighteen years amounted to only $5,500; and in Cincinnati the loss in
eight years was but $3,000.




PHARMACISTS’ AIDS.


     There can be no doubt of the fact, that two of the most rapidly
     increasing demands upon the ability of the pharmacist of to-day,
     are analytical chemistry and microscopy. The former includes that
     class of demands that so frequently apply to the druggist for
     analysis of some special compound or even more often for an
     analysis of urine. These are not limited to the “ignorant (?)
     laity,” but are decidedly common requests from physicians
     themselves. It has only been a few years since these subjects
     became so important in the diagnosis of disease, and therefore only
     the decidedly studious or recent graduate appreciates or
     investigates the utility of their possibilities. Referring
     especially to the matter of urine analysis, for every druggist
     should be posted on analytical chemistry, we know that very few of
     our best pharmacists have made any special study of this specialty
     and the following is an ordinary result. The doctor, often for lack
     of time, quite as often for lack of information, applies to the
     pharmacist for an analysis of urine--presuming, the pharmacist
     cannot do it, naturally enough the doctor goes elsewhere, but does
     he ever return for any more such work? Does he ever refer anyone
     else to that store for it?