Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-04-07
DRUGS MUST BE PURE
The Board Of Pharmacy viii Enforce
the Law Against AdulttratiOn.
RESULTS ALREADY ATTAINED.
Such Violations as Have Been Re-
ported Were Not Intentionaf-Ip-
vestigatiOns That show the Ne
cessity for Being Careful.

MT Il. "A. Miller, president OF tne STATE
Board OF Pharmacy, when asked BY a
Dispatch man yesterday what action, II
any, the board had taken at its recent
meeting in Richmond in reference to the
question OF adulteration, replied that
this matter had given the board great
deal Of concern"
Since the passage at the last session
Of the Legislature" Mr.. Miller con-
tinued. "of the new pharmacy law, which
regulates the matter of adulteration, the
! board has been in receipt Of a number OF
complaints OF adulteratlon, many OF
which, however, were found, upon inves-
tigation, to be without foundation. AT
our meeting In October last we received
written complaint from certain wholesale
druggists in the State Of adulteration OF
various drugs. and particularly lauda-
mum, which had been put upon the mar
ket in considerable quantities, and we
were asked 10 give the matter our atten-
ton. Acting under the instructions or
the board and the advice of Mr.. Guigon,
our counsel. we procured a number or
samples Of laudanum from merchants AMI
druggists OF this city. with the result
Of finding ten out OF thirteen failed 70
comply with the law. This matter Is FUZZY
set out in the report OF our counsel 10
the board. to which l refer you"
WHY NOT PROSECUTED.
"why were not the parties prosecuted.
Mr.. Miller?"
because the board was confident that
| the adulteration had occurred without the
| intention. or even knowledge or these
druggists and merchants. In every case
there was some valid explanation. In the
| case OF the wholesale merchants It was
| ignorance, and the fact that their goods
had been purchased under guarantee and
without any knowledge Of the require
ments Of the law. In the case Of the drug
gists, they were fortunately able To show
Us that every case of their failure 10
come up 10 the standard was accidental,
| and. owing to some circumstances. be-
yond their control. The chief reason,
however why the board declined 10 prose-
| cute was that this Is n new law, and II
was the first time il had ever been sought
| 20 b. enforced. The penalties for adul-
| teratiOn are very severe. and we ielt that
| its rigid enforcement would be unjust. az
well as mpoiitic. What We want IS the
moral eject, which We hope viii be as
| well sec.red by our investigation OF the
matter and its results ~ would nave Deeh
| by prosecution and severe punishmt nj.
| our druggists and m rchants are honest
people, who will not consciously violate
| the law. and. as every one OF them VIII
| be notified Of the purpose OF the board TO
| enforce the law hereafter, we believe
| that IN future the standard or drugs
( sold in Virginia will be as nigh as any
where In the United States"
THE LAW WORKS WELL.
| How does the new law work on the
whole?" asked the reporter.
1--WE consider it decidedly n success,
and hope and believe that after seeing
| its workings and rdlizing the conserva-
| tive spirit in which thGooard endeavora
| 70 enforce the law. the profession and
! merchants generally throughout TIE
1 state will realize its advantages. ana
| will give the board thcir earnest co-opera-
| tion. At least, our experience 50 far justi-
| hes this hope"
| Mr.. Guigon was also seen. and heartily
| confirmed what the president had said
| and added that nothing I'm his experience
| had 50 convinced him OF the law-ab.dinR
| ClspO sitinn Of The average Nirginian as
| The attitude Of tho various parties OF
= hul complaint had been made and who
almost without exception had met the
| board and It's counsel In "A spirit OF earnest
4 ana iriellly cooperation.
| WILL NOT BE REPEALED
DO you apprehenf any effort to repeal
| the law AT the next session OF the Legis-
| lature?" asked the reporter.
| ION the contrary" replied Mr. Guigon
| II lieye that the opposition which mani
| tested itself In some directions az tho
last session, when the extended amend
| ments 10 the old law were intr0duc Il. has
| almost entirely vanished, and. though
| Of course, this statute is not perfect. yet
| its benctcent eff cts have become f.
| manifest that instead Of meeting with
| opposition in the next Legislature. | be-
| leve there will be no difficulty whatyel
| IN securing some few amendments whct
the practical workings Of the law and
| the experience OF the board have shown
| would be desirable"
| REPORT AS TO VIOLATIONS.
| The report made to the board by Mr.
| Guigon, and referred to By Mr.. Mil r.
| says:
| Il have the honor to report that since
| my employment as general counsel fol
| tho board. on the LIST day OF July 1894,
have received eghty-three letters, OF
| which the greater number were In refer
ence 70 alleged violations Of the pharmacy
| law. and which Included, also. some In
| lhlAt'n az ~ NbiiFtA ANklNll VA 40 HfNA lbllr
| have written since that date lO2 let
tcrs, and the entire correspondence. Ia.
| involved investigation OF complaints In
| tnirty-nne different cases. In a great
| many instances Investigation has shown
that the alleged violations had not &c
| cured. In other cases II was manifest
| that the violations had been unintentlonal
| and proceedings were dropped, on en-
phatc ami earnest assurances OF the
| parties that they would not be allowed
| to occur again. IL has been my practice
in view OF what | considered the c0useryd
| tive policy Of the board. not 10 prescott,
| for un!ntentionai violations, 20 give al
parties an opportunity OF denying anc
| dsprOyng the charges made ngainst
them or Of giving their assurance tha
| The irregularities would b. discontinued
| and in every case | notified the com
plainants that should the violations con
| tinue. / was ready, as the .aw-ohcer OF
| the board, TO institute vigorous prOsecu
ton L am happy to b able TO -ep0r
| that In no case has this course failed OF
| satisfactory result. with the single excep
| ton Of the case in Washington county
| which | Will bring TO your attention II
4 separate report, and In which no prose
cution has yet been had, because or III,
assurances that / have received from
the Commemorative Attorney that IN,
party complained Of had noh for the pas
year conducted business as a pharmacies
FEW WERE EXACTLY RIGHT.
Acting under the instructions receive,
| from the board In reference 20 the mat
ter OF adulteratiOn. and proceeding will
the advice, approval, and assistance 0
! the president of the board | procured IL
October 1891. thirteen samples OF lauda
mum, through the medium OF 4 specia
officer. and caused the same TO be de
| liyered 70 DR.. William II. Taylor, Stat
Chemist. for analysis. / hand his repOr
herewith, which shows that OF the thlr
teen samples dssayed, nine were substau
tally below the standard, two so nea
TO the standard as 10 practically compl
with the law; one was above the stand
ard, and only one OF the entire lot absc
lutely between the minimum and maxi
mum allowed by the pharmacopoeia. O.
| consultation with the President Of tn
board, and after submitting the matter I
the judgment OF the other members IN
| dividually. II was decided, In view Of IN
| fact hat this was the first effort I
enforce the new law. and as marty,
not all, OF the parties shown TO have VIC
lated IL had done so unintentionally, tina
IL would be right and proper for the boar
10 fOregO all prosecutions in this partcu
| lar instance, and cOniine Itself 10 utiliZn
the results as u warning for the futur,
| II was considered but proper. under III
| circumstances, that the suggestion shout
| be made to each OF the ten delinquent
that they should each voluntarily subscrit
| their proportonate share OF the eXpens
incurred by the board in the Investigation