DRUG SCARCITY.

North Otago Times, Volume CIV, Issue 13656, 26 August 1916, Page 3

DRUG SCARCITY.

. UlCll PRK'Iia.roiM'MTAIN LINES, • 'Die drug market is one tlmt lias been verv seriously afl'ctitcd by the wai', and' inquiries mailt' by a Post representative show that the prices of certain lines in New Zealand arc still as high as'o'ver, although there .'is-an inclination on the London market .towards a decline. This decline however, is. nioro of a .speculative nature than anything else. . A leading druggist in Wellington informed the inquirer that- many •of what, are known as "job holders'" l ' (equivalent to drug brokers) fear a sudden termination of the war and the opening of the European markets—thus "the tendency tliiit lias already been mentioned, Referring to increases that have taken place,, lie said that cod liver oil had gone up to 'a" tremendous price...' Practically .never in the world's histpry had it reached the price to which'it had soared to-day. In fact, the wholesale price was almost prohibitive for retail purposes, The Bergen (Norway) holders were out for a very considerable- increase, and the inflated price, had frightened the London' buyers participating in large deals, The best Norwegian cod liver oil, which wax previously sold in New Zealand from os fid to 7s o'd a gallon wholesale, was now quoted in .the* London markets at £!0 a barrel, c.i.f., or upwards, a barrel representing twenty gallons,. 'The informant further stated that aspirin was now scarcely obtainable, and one of the Ijest known English firms hail' not.., been <in, a position to ■ place any pure aspirin supplies oil the market for some weeks. The rosuit was that the present demand in New ■Zealand was; lift ig- supplied from the stocks already in hand, One of the leading American firms, which' pr'evi- . ouslv - did big business.in tho line, was not- keen in taking orders,, owing to the reduced supplies available. Genaicol (a-preparation used considerably in the treatment of chest complaints) was also very scarce at the. present time, The price of _ liquorice, too, was very ■ high—iii fact, it was,ihigher than, it had been in the memory of the chemists of New Zealand.' Oilier information gleaned was. that, speaking generally, the public of New Zealand is Jess affected, by the high prices than the people ,in other overseas countries because -dealers have had the foresight tO/watcli ;thc 1 uiiiikptf?/ 'ilii? > caii'be 'Septi"in%lliia"iik? c iWalt'iHftl%3tl!' \ liver oil.i\\li-'ac ( tsrTi ; h'ich are sold at practically a very-little increase on pre- . war-priced, in spite ..of tho extra cost of rod' Jiver oil'on the London market, Further, it was ascertained that there is a shortage iff alt kinds of-paper usii- . ally sold by chemists, who have eagerly availed themselves of the supplies that. have dribbled through. Bottles have also been in short supply for pharmaceutical purposes, -but are now being. extensively • imported' from Japan,' which . country ,is- supplyipg "containers" of nil descriptions. Another want, Japan is filling, is that of chemists' brush ware - (tooth, hair and nail bruslu's), large shipments of which-are .beiiig landed in New Zeaalnd. .*.