ABSTRACTS AND THE PHARMACOPOEIA OF 1900.

In an article published in the Druggists Circular for January Mr. Seward W. Williams voices the quite general regret which has always been felt over the demise of "abstracts." As everybody knows, these were introduced with great éclat in the Pharmacopoeia of '80, and then, failing to spring into a popular use by physicians, were omitted in the next revision. "Probably no member of the ex-official group," says Mr. Williams, "was ever better nominated than the abstract. It was clearly set forth by eminent pharmaceutical authorities that the preparation bore a uniform and definite relation to the drug and fluid extract; that it was not subject to changes which cause variation in strength and consistency, as in the case of extracts; that, at the low temperature answering for desiccation, injury by heat was avoided; that its proper preparation required no facilities not found in the retail pharmacy; and that the fine state of division was most favorable to efficient medicinal action. Add to this that the abstract was especially adapted to standardization, and we have a combination of good qualities scarcely equaled by any class of preparations in the Pharmacopoeia.'

In view of these manifest advantages of the abstract, and particularly in view of its superiority over the extract, Mr. Williams thinks that it should be brought forward again and given a place once more in the Pharmacopoeia, perhaps under a different name and with certain changes. That it failed of popularity once does not mean that it might again, he argues; and he cites instances where the American people, always open to conviction, have not hesitated to reverse their decision. "In 1796 they chose John Adams in preference to Jefferson; in 1800 they chose Jefferson in preference to John Adams. In 1836 Van Buren was elected over W. H. Harrison; in 1840 Harrison was elected over Van Buren; and history again repeated itself in the campaigns of 1888 and 1892."

Very true; but there is a distinction involved here which Mr. Williams seems to have overlooked, and in this distinction lies the kernel of the nut. When the American people raise a man to the presidency, or refuse to so raise him, they do so consciously and intentionally after having weighed his claims to consideration and either approved or disapproved of him. The physicians of America, on the contrary, did not consciously and intentionally disapprove in this manner of the abstract. The abstract was never really voted upon by them at all. Indeed, they had no knowledge, or no adequate knowledge, of its candidacy. The abstract failed of success, not because it was disapproved of, but because it was not considered.

A manufacturing pharmacist—or, on a smaller scale, a retail pharmacist-can market a new line of preparations and, if they are meritorious, develop a demand for them

through persistent advertising; but if these same preparations be simply put into the Pharmacopoeia and discussed only in the pharmaceutical journals, it would really be more strange than otherwise if they sprang into general use-unless, indeed, the pharmacists of the country were to bring them forcibly to the attention of physicians, a procedure which history would not lead us to expect. Consequently, much as we should personally like to see "abstracts" become popular pharmacopoeial preparations, we do not believe their restoration in the revision of 1900 would avail anything unless an advertising and popularizing bureau were to be provided for.

This has not been recommended!

INEXCUSABLE AND UNJUST.

Strange as it may sound when stated in the abstract, the United States government has for years, against vigorous and continual protests, been guilty of a line of action which is unjust in every particular and absolutely without excuse. Through the Bureau of Animal Industry in the Department of Agriculture it has been manufacturing large amounts of an article — blackleg vaccine-which is one of the chief products of several private manufacturers, and giving this away free of cost to consumers. To find a defense of this action would require the consummate skill and adroitness of a Joseph Chamberlain. It is contrary to public policy because it taxes the many for the benefit of the few-because in effect it takes money from the pockets of every class in the community and puts it into the pockets of a special class. And this special class, far from being poor and deserving of aid, are among the most wealthy in the country-for the most part the cattle barons of the West! But it is in its wanton aggression upon the rights of private manufacturers, and its blasting effect upon private enterprise, that this action of the government is peculiarly pernicious and unjust. For the government to charge consumers for its product, and thus compete with private manufacturers on even grounds, would be bad enough and sufficiently violative of its functions; but for it to distribute its product broadcast, free of cost, and thus do all in its power to destroy and render impossible private production, is to pursue a course which is so manifestly wrong and inexcusable as to merit only the strongest condemnation.

And yet the Secretary of Agriculture has this year again asked Congress for an appropriation with which to carry on this work! What excuse does he make? Why, simply this (to quote from a recent utterance)— that "the department is making and furnishing blackleg vaccine as an experiment to determine whether the use of this, systematically and thoroughly for a number of years, will lessen the disease and tend to eradicate it." But why not "make and furnish" vaccine for smallpox

in order to find out whether this disease might not be "lessened" or "eradicated?" Indeed, why not undertake the wholesale manufacture and distribution of quinine as an an "experiment" to determine whether malaria might not be driven from the earth? The reason in the one case is no better than in the others; the scientific status of blackleg vaccine is just as surely established as is that of vaccine virus and quinine; and the mere suggestion of the government extending its operations to these substances is enough to show how ridiculous is the excuse which the Secretary makes for the action of his department.

The N. A. R. D., at the meeting held in this city last September, passed a resolution condemning the government for its "encroachment upon the drug and allied trades." The N. W. D. A., at the Chicago meeting, acting upon the matter as presented at great length in the report of Secretary Merriam, expressed in a similar resolution its unqualified opposition to the course of the government. And copies of both these resolutions were sent by the respective associations to every member of Congress at the opening of the present session. We hope most sincerely that the protest of these representative bodies of the drug trade will convince the members of Congress of their plain duty to deny the Bureau of Animal Industry money with which to continue a line of action so destructive of private interests, so opposed to public policy, and so absolutely indefensible and unnecessary.

COCAINE LEGISLATION IN PENNSYLVANIA. We may supplement our remarks of last month concerning the cocaine evil in the South by speaking briefly of certain conditions in Pennsylvania. Within the last two or three years there has arisen in that State a considerable demand for greater restriction in the sale of poisons, particularly those which are used by drug habitués. Finally a bill was introduced at the last session of the legislature by others than pharmacists which called for the suppression of the sale of everything containing opium, codeine, cocaine, morphine, and chloral. It was absurd to attempt to prevent absolutely the sale of every opium-containing preparation, such, for instance, as paregoric and Bateman's drops; and the bill overshot the mark so much that the legislative committee of the State Pharmaceutical Association had no difficulty in causing its demise. But there is reason to believe that another measure will be brought forward by the same element at the present session of the legislature.

Mr. Cliffe, of Philadelphia, who, as chairman of the Committee on Legislation of the State association, has had charge for some years of the legislative affairs concerning pharmacists, and who has done signal service in this direction, expressed his belief at the last meeting of

the association that a second measure might have to be fought, and declared that the wise thing to do would be to draft a bill which could be offered as a substitute and which would promise sufficient protection to please the reformers while not being inimical to the interests of pharmacists. To this end he recommended that the poison section of Professor Beal's model law be used with a change, if necessary, in one particular. The section, as it stands, regulates but does not suppress the sale of poisons; and Mr. Cliffe suggested that in case it became necessary to meet a demand for the suppression of the sale of narcotics a provision be attached whereby a dealer would be compelled to refuse to sell morphine, cocaine, et al., to a habitué when a written notice to this effect were served upon him by a relative or friend of the individual.

This is simply the adoption of a feature which is to be found in the liquor laws of many States; and it is an excellent one in that it provides the wife, mother, or other relative or friend of a drunkard the means of preventing him from securing liquor with which to feed his appetite. It seems to us that the method would be equally effective when applied to drug habitués. It would give a much needed protection to the family of an opium or cocaine fiend, and it would make the pharmacist's duty clear and definite, relieving him of a large share of responsibility. Even with such a law, however, the pharmacist should not forget that considerable responsibility yet remained to him, and that his duty would be plain to save the unfortunates from themselves so far as he found it possible so to do. We believe that the securing of such a provision as Mr. Cliffe recommended would be very desirable, and we believe further that it should be secured at once on its merits, instead of being held in readiness and introduced in the legislature only when it becomes necessary as a measure of self-defense.

TOO LATE.

We were disappointed when the Pharmacopoeial Convention of last May, in deciding to incorporate doses in the forthcoming Pharmacopoeia, adopted average instead of maximum doses. As we said at the time, and had said in substance on previous occasions, "the chief need of doses in the Pharmacopoeia is to afford the pharmacist, whose duty it is to act as safeguard to the physician, and who is held responsible if he fails to discharge this duty, some definite and authoritative means of judgment. If maximum doses were given, and these were exceeded by the physician, the pharmacist could relieve himself of all responsibility by simply calling the physician's attention to the dose and thus determining whether it was accidental or intentional. Average doses, on the other hand, afford the pharmacist no such safeguard, because they are very often exceeded in practice,

and with such safety, moreover, that the act raises no suspicion."

The action of the convention in sanctioning average doses was taken simply because such a step was recommended in the report of the Revision Committee, a report adopted almost without discussion. But considerable dissatisfaction was afterward expressed at the form of doses authorized, and not only by non-delegates, but by delegates as well, who realized too late what had been done. In a recent number of the Journal of the American Medical Association we find this dissatisfaction expressed by a member of the new Revision Committee, Dr. J. Tracy Melvin. The Doctor declares that conversations held since the convention with many of the delegates, as well as with members of his profession from all sections of the country, have convinced him that "average doses are not wanted in this work by either physicians or pharmacists, as in many instances they must be a wholly indeterminate quantity, owing to the wide range of conditions that are to be met, and under no circumstances could they be more than a treacherous guide to inexperience. What is wanted both by physicians and pharmacists, and what they have for more than twenty years been demanding, is the insertion in this work of maximum safe doses, the intentional exceeding of which by the prescriber shall be indicated by an exclamation mark or otherwise."

Dr. Melvin would like to see the error rectified, and asks whether it would not be possible to change the form of doses before the work of revision goes too far. Much as we regret it, we fear that nothing can be done now. To act in violation of any plain instructions given it by the convention would be for the Revision Committee to exceed its rights, which are simply those of an agent carrying out the expressed will of a principal. In things which are purposely left to the judgment of the committee its jurisdiction is complete, but it has no jurisdiction whatever in things which have been officially decided by the convention. The only course that can be taken now is to possess our souls in patience and hope devoutly that the experience of the next ten years with average doses will breed a conviction of the necessity of maximum doses. Indeed, it is not at all unlikely that the adoption of average doses now will make much surer the ultimate adoption of doses in the maximum form.

The prosecuting attorney in Cincinnati has hit upon a novel method of correcting in part the cocaine and morphine evil, though it has not yet been decided to carry it into execution. He proposes to treat a person found intoxicated from the use of a narcotic as he would one intoxicated from the use of alcoholic liquors - convict him and make him pay a fine or serve a sentence in the workhouse!

selves.

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THE MONTH.

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THE LEGISlative whEEL REVOLVES. The law-making season is again here, and the pharmacists of several States are preparing to introduce measures more desirable than those which at present exist on the statute books. It will be remembered that several months ago the Louisiana pharmacy law was rendered very unsatisfactory by a decision from the Attorney-General that physicians could be registered as pharmacists upon their medical diplomas. The St. Louis pharmacists are now agitating the question of securing a new law which shall effectively prevent this condition of things. * In Pennsylvania, largely as the result of the feeling against the reregistration feature of the existing law generated by the recent numerous prosecutions, a committee of the Philadelphia association was some time ago appointed to draft a new bill omitting the reregistration provision. The bill, as reported by the committee, is notable in that it makes graduation a prerequisite to examination by the board. Nearly every year for at least three or four years, however, the State association has taken action looking toward this step, and it would appear that a favorable sentiment has been developed in its favor, at least among pharmacists themIn the Michigan legislature a bill has been introduced through the influence of the State association which will give the Board of Pharmacy power to prosecute pharmacists who sell liquor illegally, and to cause a revocation of the pharmacy license if it deem such action merited, besides, of course, causing the infliction of the regular penalties contained in the general liquor law. Under this bill, too, any counter or window display of liquors in the pharmacy will be prohibited. The pharmacists of the State have been threatened for years with the passage of measures, advocated by the saloon interests, which would be inimical to their welfare and damaging to their reputation; and their purpose in seeking the passage of the present bill is to show the legislature and the public that they are willing and anxious themselves to control the liquor evil within their own ranks. In addition to the foregoing features, this bill will create the office of "assistant secretary," the occupant of which will be paid to give his entire time to the board's affairs, but will not be a member; the idea being to have some one who will have time to discover and prosecute all violations of the law. * * The Drug Clerks' Association of Michigan has had a shorter hours measure introduced in the legislature; this is referred to in detail in another paragraph. * In the Vermont

which we present elsewhere in this issue of the BULLETIN. As the result of his training in pharmaceutical jurisprudence, and more particularly of his several years of practical experience before the legislature, he tells just how the campaign for a bill should be conducted from beginning to end.

AN UNFORTUNATE TURN IN THE STAMP TAX SITUATION.

At this writing the repeal of the stamp tax on proprietary medicines is extremely doubtful. Contrary to expectations, the Finance Committee of the Senate, in acting upon the House reduction measure, restored the tax on medicines, though with certain changes from the original provisions. As reported out of committee on the 24th the bill still provided for the repeal of the tax on perfumery, cosmetics, and chewing gum in Schedule B, as the House had arranged, but it provided that unless medicines were of open composition, and contained the formulas printed on the package, they were to remain subject to the tax as heretofore, though with the following reduction in rate: One-tenth of one cent was to be the tax on articles the retail price of which does not exceed ten cents; and an additional tax of one-twentieth of one cent was fixed on each additional five cents value or fractional part thereof. This partial replacement of the tax on medicines was made by the Senate committee in accordance with a decision to make a more "horizontal" reduction than the House had done to distribute it more evenly, repealing it in fewer instances, and reducing it with a greater number of articles. Accordingly the tax was replaced in part on many other things than medicines, and removed in part from a number of things which the House had left untouched. The drug interests discovered late the decision at which the Finance Committee had arrived, and Mr. De Witt of the P. A. of A., Mr. Kline of the N. W. D. A., President Anderson and Mr. Gallagher of the N. A. R. D., and others hastened to Washington a couple of days before the committee reported to the Senate. Chairman Aldrich of the committee listened to the drug men, but was reported as being firm in the action the committee had taken. Messrs. De Witt, Kline, Anderson, and Gallagher staid in Washington after the bill was reported, however, and made arrangements to bring pressure to bear upon the Senate; while the word went out to have letters sent in from various sections to the senators. The BULLETIN would urge its readers to write the men who represent their districts in the Senate, asking for the absolute repeal of the tax on medicines; it is only by prompt and determined action that the day may be saved. The situation is somewhat complicated by the fact that a minority of proprietors are in favor of having the tax retained because the

special designs of revenue stamps which the government allows proprietors to use affords them a protection against fraud and substitution, and makes the government the prosecutor of offenders. Several of them have therefore been secretly fighting the repeal of the tax, and they are large enough, and possess influence enough, to exercise considerable harm.

A SHORTER HOURS BILL IN MICHIGAN.

The Michigan Drug Clerks' Association, composed for the most part of the clerks of this city, have had a ten-hour bill introduced in the State legislature. It provides that "the working hours per day shall be divided into turns of five consecutive hours each, and no registered pharmacist or registered assistant pharmacist shall work, or be required or permitted to work, more than two turns in the twenty-four hours." Ten hours overtime may be permitted during any one week, however, if the balance is restored the following week. Violation of the act is made punishable "by a fine of not less than twenty dollars nor more than one hundred dollars; or in the failure of payment of the fine, imprisonment for not less than ten days nor more than ninety days; or both fine and imprisonment in the discretion of the court." The act applies to cities of over 5000 population, and will take effect immediately if passed. The clerks are making an energetic campaign in favor of the bill and confidently expect its passage. Despite the fact that the State Pharmaceutical Association gave the bill no consideration when it was put before the body at last summer's meeting, and therefore practically "turned it down," no organized opposition to it is now made by the proprieNot having, so far at least, any opposing interests to overcome, it would seem that the clerks are in good position to succeed, though the cut from fourteen or fifteen hours of service on week - days to ten is so great as to endanger success somewhat. As to the attitude of individual proprietors, they do not seem hostile, though there is some dissatisfaction over the arbitrary apportioning of the day's work into two "turns" of five hours each, making it necessary for the druggist to be entirely without his clerk either during the morning, the afternoon, or the evening; though of course it will be seen at once that this is a satisfactory arrangement for the clerk. We sympathize deeply with the clerk in the long hours he has to work, but it seems to us that in the great majority of cases this is not the fault of his employer. The proprietor is in much the same position as the clerk, and the causes for their condition are to be found in the nature of their calling. We look for ultimate relief more from an "early closing" and "Sunday closing" reform than from any other source; for this strikes at the fundamental causes and relieves both pro

tors.

prietor and clerk. It is not at all unlikely, however, that the success of the clerks' relief measure would, if enforced, bring about an early closing movement, inaugurated by proprietors in self-defense.

THE N. A. R. D.: MEETING OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.

At a meeting of the Executive Committee of the N. A. R. D., held in Chicago the 12th of last month, the subject of local organization was thoroughly discussed. A plan of complete State organization was decided upon, and this, it is announced, will first be applied in Indiana and pushed energetically. [It is pertinent to report here that in a recent news-letter sent out by Secretary Wooten it was stated that "the work of forming county associations is progressing well in Wisconsin under the direction of Mr. Heimstreet."] A representative of the Phenyo - Caffeine Company appeared before the committee to present the company's contract plan for the prevention of cutting. The plan was not adopted by the committee and substituted for the plan now in

operation, as two or three local associations (particularly the Philadelphia body) had recommended in the form of resolution; instead it was decided to "call it to the attention" of the affiliated bodies and suggest its use by them so far as practicable. It cannot, however, in the very nature of things, be used by certain associations and in certain sections to the exclusion of other associations and sections; it must be used uniformly or not at all. The contract plan, it may here be said, has been discussed widely since Dr. Garst succeeded in winning so decided a victory at the hands of the Massachusetts Supreme Court two or three months ago, and it has been received everywhere with approval. And so far as its practical working value is concerned, this has been determined by its almost unqualified success in other lines of trade. In its work of local organization the Executive Committee will of course need money; and the $4342 which Mr. Kramer has turned over to the association as the result of the Cascaret offer made at the Detroit convention last September will doubtless be of great assistance. This money, in the form of a check of course, was presented by Mr. Kramer at a banquet given by him in Chicago last month expressly for the purpose, and attended by members of the Executive Committee, including President Anderson, Secretary Wooten, and Treasurer Heller. An offer similar to that made by Mr. Kramer is now made by the Michigan Drug Company. ** At the Chicago meeting of the Executive Committee referred to above it was apparently the opinion of the members that matters were "progressing as successfully, though not quite so rapidly, as desired." In this connection it may be said that a recent utterance of Secretary Wooten contained the

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statement that "In Philadelphia, Minneapolis, and other cities the plan upon which we are working is already a pronounced success. In Boston the newspapers refuse to print the advertisements of dealers who offer proprietary goods at prices which yield no profit." Twelve or more local associations, most of them newly created, have joined the N. A. R. D. within the last four weeks. * * * From the approved list of jobbers published on page 463 of the BULLETIN of last November, there has recently been removed the names of W. H. Currier & Co., of Pittsfield, Mass., who are declared aggressive cutters; Hogan - Johnson Drug Company, Lafayette, Ind., for violation of the agreement; and Stovall-Smith Drug Company, Atlanta, Ga., who are not considered jobbers. Recognition has been refused to the New York Consolidated Drug Company; R. P. Hoagland, Boston; and D. Maurer & Son, Philadelphia.

THE N. A. R. D.: NEW YORK AND PHILADELPHIA.

The canvass of Greater New York, to the surprise even of the Joint Conference Committee, under whose

auspices it was prosecuted, resulted in securing the promised adherence of nearly 98 per cent of the retail trade to the N. A. R. D. plan and to the schedule of prices.* The final report of the committee stated that 1452 stores had been canvassed, of which number 1340 had declared for the plan; 36 proprietors could not be seen; 46 were doubtful; and only 29 were avowedly in opposition. An attempt was made to secure the cooperation also of the department and dry goods stores; fused to enter into the agreement. This action, while but the association which represents these stores redisappointing, did not change the plan of the retailers, and the price schedule went into effect on the 24th. It is believed that the department stores may perchance find it difficult to get goods and be willing after a season to join with the druggists. The eyes of the drug trade of the entire country have been centered upon New York during her efforts of the last few weeks; and if the N. A. R. D. movement should succeed here, indisputably the most difficult place in the entire country, its ultimate and general success is assured. * Meanwhile the New Jersey associations around New York seem to be moving surely toward success, and most of them now have in operation price schedules which are practically the same as that adopted in New York. In Paterson, formerly a violent cut-rate town, twenty-one druggists have joined the association, and all twentyeight of the town have agreed to the price schedule. So little difficulty has been experienced with customers over the advance that the druggists are sorry they did not take action sooner! * * At the annual meeting of the Westchester (N. Y.) Pharmaceutical Associa

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*This schedule was printed on page 4 of last month's BULLETIN.