Show PRESCRIPTIONS IN LATIN The Public Should Have Them Translated Trans-lated by the Druggists 1 What virtue Is there In tho secrecy I with which tho doctor hedges about his profession 1 Professional otlquotto occupies a prominent place In tho curriculum of every medical school and when strictly strict-ly analyzed professional etiquette seems to mean doing what Is best for tho doctor Individually and collectively col-lectively l Among tho things that Is best for tho doctor is tho writing of his proscriptions pro-scriptions In Latin and thus keeping tho public in Ignoranco not only of what It is taking for Its Ills but forcing forc-ing a call upon tho doctor each time a proscription Is needed In plain and unmistakable English the writing of proscriptions In Latin makes business for tho doctors Let us say that you have tho ague You had It last year and tho year before be-fore Each time you have visited tho doctor and ho has prescribed for you In Latin You have never known what he has given you for the disease and so each tlmo you arc forced to go to him again and glvo him an opportunity oppor-tunity to repeat his prescription Latin and his CeeIn dollars If you ask the doctor why ho uses Latin In writing his proscriptions why he writes aqua when ho means water wa-ter ho will give you a technical dissertation dis-sertation on tho purity of tho Latin language and tho fact that all words are derived from It etc It will bo a Dissertation that you may not bo able to answer but It will hardly convince you It would be a good thing for tho public I pub-lic to devise n little code of ethics of I Its own ethics that will bo a good thing for tho public Individually and I collectively Let us apply ono of tho rules of this code of ethics to you tho Individual You call in tho physician when you have tho ague tho grippe or any of F tho other Ills to which human flesh Is w heir and which you may have again some day Tho doctor prescribesIn Latin and you take this to you meaningless mean-ingless scribble to tho druggist to have it compounded night here is whore you come in if you aro wise Say to tho druggist that you want a translation of that proscription It Is your privilege to know what you aro taking While tho doctors code of ethics may not recognize this right its It-s yours just tho same 1 With the translated prescription in your possession you havo two distinct advantages You know what you aro taking and should you wish to call some other doctor at some tlmo you will bo able to toll him what drugs you Tiavo been putting into your system and also If you should have tho same disease again you can save yourself a visit to tho doctor and his fee by taking this translated prescription to tho druggist onco moro and having It refilled n |