[The essay on separation of dispensary from medical practice written by Yukichi Fukuzawa].

In November 1891, the union of pharmacists submitted the petitions letter on revision of the Law No. 10 issued on March 15, 1889, because by this law physicians acquired the right to dispense medicine rather than to give prescriptions to their patients. Yukichi Fukuzawa criticized the above mentioned problems and he contributed essays to the famous newspaper, Jiji-shin-pou in december 1891. Principles of his essays were as follows: 1) separation of dispensary from medical practice widely done in western countries were important from scientific viewpoint; 2) however, both physicians and patients had no concept on total medical fee which was consistent with consultation fee and charge for medicines. Thus, patients in Japan have been receiving medicines from physicians customarily over several hundred years; 3)introduction of new system on separation of dispensary from medical practice would cause troubles, because additional payment at the pharmacy should be required other than payment for physicians; 4)he was aware that opportunities to commit sick persons to doctor's care would be decreased especially in case of poor persons. Compared the public opinion to the separation of dispensary from medical practice of present day, there was found no difference on the attitude of Japanese people in these hundred years.