SCARCITY OF DRUGS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15964, 8 July 1915, Page 8

SCARCITY OF DRUGS.

EFFECTS OF THE WAR. ORDERS FOR AMERICA. [BY TELEGRAPH —press ASSOCIATION.] ' Wellington. Wednesday From the latest advice received from London it appears that certain drugs in general demand are becoming harder to procure. This is especially the case with asperin, which has advanced considerably in price. London chemists are unable to tope with the demand. Soon after the j commencement of the war the American ] manufacturers saw their opportunity to secure a firmer footing in supplying drugs that were formerly procured from the Continent, and consequently the wholesale manufacturing chemists doubled, and in some cases trebled, their output, but still the demand has not been met. Large repeat orders were forwarded to America, with the result that the market has been depleted of asperin. Antipyrine, which was formerly purchased on the Continent, is another drug that has advanced in price, and at the present time there is none offering on the London market. The almost universal household medicine. Epsom salts, is likely to rise, considerably in price, as well as Glauber salts. This will chiefly be brought about by the action of the British Government in commandeering several of the sulphuric acid works. The salts referred to are by-products from these woiks, and, as the works are being put to other uses by the Government, the demand will not be"kept pace with in the near future. The cod-fishing season opened promisingly, and some fine catches were reported. Later, the catches continued to be of a satisfactory nature, but it was discovered that the 'livers of the fish were very thin and, consequently, the produc- ; tion of oil fell in proportion. There was a j heavy demand for the oil in Norway, and prices rose above normal. The factor that I was the main cause for this was the heavy ! ; operations on the market of Germany, the i oil being required for the manufacture of glycerine, which is wanted for the manufacture of explosives. During the last few days there have been some fairly heavy purchases of glycerine on the local market in anticipation of a further rise in price. Now that Australia has decided to manufacture munitions of war a rise in the price of glycerine may be expected, but to what extent cannot at present be foreshadowed. Generally there is a decided tendency for the price of drugs to advance still higher, mainly on account of the difficulty of production. There is another fact that plays an important part, and that is the scarcity of qualified chemists. Since the commencement of the war a large number of chemists have relinquished their employment with the manufacturers, and are at present engaged j in more important work elsewhere.