The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1853-12-21
QUAoK MEDlo1sEs.-A very funny bill is

D.
now pending before the Senate OF Virginia 'requi-
fing that the box, bottle envelope containing spv
nosrum or quack medicine exposed for sale IN this
alth, shall have cOuue cied Herewith a
lGoet IN which the ingredients of such Dostrur or
quhck medicine, shall be printed in E.ngI;shn We
say tis bIli is funny one, because it does not ap-
p2ifI hnplres to decide wheths the medicine offer
CO Tor sale is really put up from the prescription
learned and tInguished professor OF the oil.
hedsiHg art or an empire. For our part we are
Die TO see the good 10 result to the community
at large, from the passage OF such bill and there
ere nave no idea that the Senate will 90 otherwise
Chab prescribe for the restless tsie bantiing strong
opate lay 1t upon the table, and let il seen to the
end of the session.
For the medical fraternity we entertain ss high
opialou as tor any other class of gentlemen hut il
seems 10 be carrying matters little too far for auy
portion OF them to come before the Legislature and
grayey asa that body to compel other Ie to furnish
70 the word recipe for medicines, TO discover
which they have expended years of toll aud thou
saAdS OF doiiars, While they be permitted TO
Whte he1r prescriptions IN language entirely un-
known 10 the masses. If the coed of the neOple
require such action the hands of the Legislature
mat BODY Shorld go little farther and colape eve.
r fhysican to write his prescription III plain Eng
iish and then Il Q Apothecary should be forced to
Keep record OF these prescriptions subject to ex-
aunnatlon 10y the public at any moment. Nav more
IL me good OF the people is the object of the
movement, the Legislature mi ght even REQUIRE eve
~ phJs'cian to Keep record of the ire itment of
each case Tor which he prescribes and have that re-
cord printed for the good Of mankind If the Gene
raj Assembly has the constitutional right (which we
very much doubE,l to force or B to give to the
pubic the recipe tor the manufacture of Que art Gle
1t haa pre- ci5eiy the right to make or d Law
before the world the amount and character of rned
clnes used 10 Kill or any citizen in the couuni
~ that others may guard against protis by its use
IN such cases-because what is tor the goose il
sauce for the gauder
But again: suppose the Legislature were to pass
such law and 1t could be enforced, what would be
the conseqUeuce4 Why. an urdying hcstility be.
tween certain NJ D's aud the poth, caries-for the
ia5teT that the former mad secured he pas
of such law for their own pc ~ mai agara
ineht, Wuuld at once taae steps 70 from them
the pr6hc support and they cond easily succeed in
ccng tins by employing intelligent pay ys.cius - al
tend IN their stores AID pr fcnye foc public Tor
si diseases merely charging the pstents for the me-
diceAes furnished them. Ii the Apothec4ries were
t. adopt such ? az, what would become of the
thousands OF professional gentlemen who now live
upon the fees, that you'd then be entirely cut of?
but there are other reasons why the Legislature
Should give this bill the bv Patent medicines are
boug ana sold by nearly every country reliant in
the State-they pay handsome revenue into the
treasury, aad most of them, far as we know arr
perfectly harmless If the people believe in their
virtues, they have right to use them and the Le-
giElature of Virginia will hardly un6ert ke in this
enlightened age, 10 Esy that we shaI't n Sc Them