The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-08-24


the inspection, by competent Judges, of drugs i'm
ported into the United States, and providing for
the destroyal Of such drugs as may be found to be
adulterated, has gone into operation; and in Sc
veral OF our Atlantic cities inspectors have been
appointed. We are glad to see that IN one city
at least, WIS., Baltimore, the selection of the in.
spector has been founded entirely on his COM
potency to fill the post, without regard to his po-
htical opinions; and we trust the same criterion
will be the one used in all similar appointments
In New York, we understand that the same gen.
teman who has for some time past filled this Of
ice, for which he Is peculiarly fitted by his long
practical experience in the handling of drugs, is
still to continue his position under the new law.
This Is all as it should be; and the prospect now
is that the shameful and really wicked and UNI
prlnciped frauds which were formerly practised
in the importation of drugs, will be put stop to,
as all articles which the inspectors and the re-
ferees to whom they will submit disputed cases,
decide to be unfit for use, will be destroyed; and
thus our citizens will have guarantee that the
medicines they swallow, at least arrive in this
country pure and unaduterated.
When this law was under the consideration of
the House of Congress, the only argument which
its opponents could bring against 1t was, that
though by this means the importation of adultera-
ted drugs could be prevented, that it could not pre-
vent the druggists from aduterating their goods
after they purchased them Until two wrongs
can be proved to make one right this argument
can be OF no avail.
In all large cities competition runs so high that
it has the effect Of making every vender of drugs
pndeavOr IN h1ioh for
pure articles, and the public are pretty sure TO pa
tronize such establishments IN preferencesto cheap
and doubtful ones therefore, give the druggists the
facilities to purchase the genuine articles, and
they find It to their interest to keep them. Every
resident OF New York must have observed what an
Improvement has taken place in the drug establish
ments during the last ten years, and how many
particular stores have obtained this kind of ren,,.
tation-al 'his Is the effect Of this kind of compe-
a'A'H' ne only part of the business which will
not probably be much better by this new law, is
the country trade; for that trade, probably, many
adalterated articles will still be put up as it is but
too true that remuneratng prices cannot be OBJ
tanned it forgood articles; still many, very many
preparations, will be sent pure as imported, where
formerly they were sent adulterated as imported,
as the fraud was not practised by our merchants,
but by the foreign dealers, who supplied them with
bad articles, but who will now be obliged to send
the genuine, or none at all.
This law, them cannot but be looked on as a
most salutary one. To the College of Pharmacy.
in this city, and the present inspector of imported
drugs, we believe belongs most of the credit of
bringing the matter before Congress, and they
deserve the thanks of the community for thus ha-
wing placed as efecua stoppage as possible on the
dangerous and neiarious traffic, which has hther-
TO been carrid on the extent of which was fully
exposed in the memorial presented to the two
Houses The expense 10 government is but triiilng;
IN several cities, as in New York for instance, 1t
is no more expense than it was before. The
aggregate amount of money spent for drugs by
our citizens every year Is very large indeed, more
so than would be supposed by the superficial OBJ
server How important it is to have them good
every one who has ever been stretched on bed
of sickness can readily answer for What law
therefore, could be more proper than one which
will secure such an inestimable advantage
Mai. ARRANGEMENT, Aeon Sunday last we