Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1851-01-18
FOR THE TIMES
FUR The TIM
MEDICAL, MONOPOLY

MEssRs, EDITORS Il see by this mornings Times.
that Dr. Chambefayne made motion in the City
Council TO impose tax OF $25, lin addition to the
merchant tax paid by all Druggists upon any "person
or firm that sells barers any patent specific or
quack medicine, His motion was negatiyed He
then made motion to insert $50 This was also lost
MIR. Goddn made motion to insert SIS, which was
agreed to-. A law similar to this may be found in the
Virginia Code.
Our Lawmakers seem to be sadly in want ofsome of
the qualifications necessary to sound and ennal L.
gislation: In the first place, our Druggists are
made to pay a tax Tor selling drugs, medicines"
&c, OF domestic and foreign manufacture )" and
then, to cap the climax, some Of these very drugs
and medicines are subjected additional of
There Is Just as much soundness and equality in this
as there would be in making dry goods merchants
pay tax upon all domestic and foreign dry goods,
and then taxing them again for the articles bought
at the North Both absurd and unjust 1t is dou-
Ole taratiOn Druggists, and al others who deal in me-
dcne, should be allowed TO sell every thing in their
line OF business without additional taxation Extend
this new principle Of taxation TO all kinds of merchan-
die, and what would be the result? Would our mer.
chants submit to it tamely2 They would not
But the law sadly at fault in another point of view
1t does not define which are, and which not paent,
specific or qnack medicines" This whole question is
eit open, suppose, for the benefit of the lawyers
There is generally some such gap in all our laws Now,
what are the medicines IN question! A "p aten nled-
cine is one, the exclusive right to make which, is Sc
cured to the inventor, or the who claims to have
made its discovery. This PATENT makes it penal tor
any one else to manufacture it, Moreover lis constt-
uent parts are unknown to all except the INVENTOR
Not medicine in thousand sold in our shops is of
this class But the law says"pecifc'-- and all these
are OF this character, says obector. The word
specic" covers perhaps nearly every medicine in eY-
istence Is not calome "specite!' Is not ipecac
Opium! Quinnel Sulphur? Capscum! Antimo-
ny? Hydrocyanic Acid and Arsenic? Where, then,
is room fer discrimination! When the Physician pre-
scribes for his patient does he prescribe Specific
article or compound, with the view OF producing a
Specific effect! Ii he does not he knows not what
he is about. am sorry the motion to impose this adj
ditional tax came from aphysiciaa. 1t looks if he
was egislatng TO protect his craft But the phrase
quack" is added to designate the medicine. TheIword
"quack, 10 cry like duck boaster,a IAN empiric is Il
very unfortunate appendix A quack medicine is pre-
tended one. There are very few medicines which do
not belong to this class. Quackery is the order of the
day. This is true OF all, from your Cod Liver Oil up
to the sampson OF regular pracce-anercury And II
the verdict of the people could be heard, they would
pronounce the whole system OF medication sheer hum
buggery. | am opposed to selling, buying, or usuing
any medicine the constituents OF which are unknown,
but am also opposed to additional upon articles
which are good the constituents OF which are, or may
be known to ALL and which, to say the least OF them,
are equal to anything prescribed by physicians of any
school, either regular reformed
am sorry to trouble you, Messrs. Editors, but the
subject is important one and that is agtated
should be finally settled. By giving publicity to the
above you will much cblige
MANY YOUR PATRONS.