The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 70, July 1966 - April, 1967 Page: 70
728 p. : maps, ports. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Southwestern Historical Quarterly
not uncommon to have at least half the prescriptions ordered
as tonics consist mainly of grain alcohol.
Up to 1940, Hermes Drug Store contained various manufac-
turing equipment such as tablet stamping machines, handloaded
and operated, and many other early devices for compounding
active constitutents from crude drugs. Some of those devices and
equipment are presently in the San Jacinto Museum, where
thousands of Texas and out-of-state tourists visit annually to
see pharmacy in the early life of Texas. In an interview, Gilbert
Hermes elaborated on the ways in which pharmacy has progressed
and changed with the times. He could remember when he first
operated the drug store that more than 90 per cent of all pre-
scriptions were compounded upon the directions of a physician.
Many times, in the years from 1890o to 1910, prescriptions were
written on notebook paper and various other types of writing
material by the doctors or physicians, particularly when accosted
by patients on the street. From the earliest preserved record of
their prescriptions in 1898 to the present time, the drug store
has filled more than 190,000 prescriptions. Hermes also kept
excellent records of all types, such as books, ledgers, and news-
papers, recording the history of his drug store, dating back to
1856 and 1857.
Edgar Anders noted that prescriptions were written in Latin
in the late 189o's and early 1900oo's and were compounded from
crude drugs according to their Latin titles. In 1937, the sulfa
drug came into being and at the beginning of World War II,
penicillin opened a whole new world of medicaments of anti-
biotics. In the 196o's, Anders stated that 95 per cent of his pre-
scriptions were taken in the form of tablets and capsules which
were placed in a prescription bottle and properly labeled as
directed by the doctor for the patient. From 1946 to 1960, An-
ders' business increased to the extent that the drug store required
the services of an additional pharmacist to fill the prescriptions
that came in daily. There were three other drug stores in La
Grange, seven doctors, and the Fayette Memorial Hospital. All
four drug stores seemed to be thriving and prosperous. In 1960,
the average prescription price for Hermes Drug Store, as well
as for the other drug stores in La Grange, was $3.oo, as compared
to $.75 to $1.oo in the late 189o's and early 19oo's.
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 70, July 1966 - April, 1967, periodical, 1967; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101199/m1/88/: accessed March 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.