Any retail druggist in this state who is himself a registered or licensed pharmacist or who regularly employs a licensed or registered pharmacist may sell in the manner set out in this article pure alcohol for medicinal purposes only and grain alcohol to chemists and bacteriologists actually engaged in scientific work for such purposes only.
Nothing in this section shall prevent such druggist from using alcohol in the compounding of prescriptions or other medicines, the sale of which would not subject him to the payment of the special tax required of liquor dealers by the United States.