The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-09-23
HITS PATENT DOPES ]
YERKES RULINGS
WILL PLACE MANY PATENT MED
ICINEs IN WHISKY GLASS.
The Commissio Ruling Reverses
that Of Four Years Ago and Will
Make Stir Among Medicine Men.
New York Tribune.

IA John w. Yerkes, the commissioner OF
internal revenue, has rendered de-
cision which will strike terror to the
hearts Of druggists and patent medi-
the thirsty residents Of prohibitions
states. Hereafter the fharmless"
liquor remedy, the unfailing" catarrh
cure and the "pure vegetable rein
vigorator, which consist of alcohol or
distilled spirits, must be handled as
liquor; the manufactures must pay the
tax required of manufacturers of spir-
it's, and the druggist who sells these
goods must take out retail liquor
license. =
Commissioner Yerkes' decision re-
verses ruling Of the same office made
| four years ago. It is well known that
many Of the so-called patent medicines
now on the market are composed chiefly
Of cheap whisky or alcohol in some
| form, favored with some not unpalat-
able drug, and, their effect being the
same as that of whisky, it is never diff
! cult to procure the most extravagant
1 testimonials as to the efficacy Of these
remedies. So general has become
! the consumption Of these medicines in
/ certain sectlons, especially where
straight liquor is difficult to obtain,
that cases Of intoxication resulting from
their use are known by the name Of
| ".
/ There is also an immense sale Of this
class of drugs to Indians on reserva-
i lions, where the prohibition Of the sale
Of liquor is enforced, and the ''noble
red man. observed to be acting pecu-
liarly and walking with manifest indie.
termination as to which side of the trail
to follow is Immediately suspected OF
"sure cure for lame backs,v or Of hay.
ing taken. an overdose Of CDR. Quack g
celebrated kidney cure.' Presumably
if the manufacturers and druggists are
compelled to treat these fake remedies
as whisky, the Indian commissioner
must do the same, and then one, of the
greatest sources Of revenue to the pro
ducers of blends of cheap whisky an6
: favoring extracts will be destroyed.
But it is in the prohibition district:
that the thirsty white man is destined
). to suffer most. No longer will he bt
: able to- wear the white ribbon Of .tota
3 abstinence while he gravely informs
t his druggist that he is suffering from
: .'that tired feelinng,.'' only. to be re
T freshed by. the administration Of sew
t eral Of the hundred doses which can b.
bought for dollar and a quarter. In
+; cidentally, the express companies ma,
0 find their receipts enhanced thru thu
increased transportation of origina
Q packages Of goods, but the profits O.
9 the local druggist will fall off, and tn
|. improvident consumer who wants hi
y tipple promptly and without waiting
|. week for it to come by express will b
j. heard bewailing the day when Commits
g sioner Yerkes reversed the patent med1
Q cine ruling. 49,.
n The commissioner, in letter Of il
S struction to collectors of internal rev
l. enue, says that there are number G
+ compounds on the market going unde
| 4ho Of hot
" posed chiefly Of distilled spirits, will
10 out the addition Of drugs or medicine
e in sufficient quantities to change th
character of the whisky materially. Il
: authorizes collectors to impose the sp
cial tax on manufacturers of ever
compound composed of distilled spirit
even tho drugs are declared, to hav
~ ence is not .discoverable by .chemics
! analysis, or if it is found that the quar-
tity of drugs in the preparation is s
small as to have no appreciable -eHet
upon the liquor. The same ruling,
declares the commissioner, "applies
every alcoholic compound labeled as
remedy for diseases and containing,
addition to distilled spirits, only sui
stances or ingredients which, howev'
large their quantity, are not OF a cha
acter to impart any medicinal quallt
to the compound.
To prevent injustice being done, tt
ruling will not be put into effect unit
Dec. 1, 1905, but collectors are instruc
= ed to send out notices at once to a
Z druggists and merchants dealing in pr
prietary medicines, informing them a
ter Dec. l they will be required to pa
the special tax as liquor dealers f,
selling compounds coming within tt
rule. -.i
While no statement is made by tt
commissioner as to the medicines tn;
will be affected, it is believed that tt
decision reaches several largely adve
tised preparations. In some instanc
s. these medicines have been found
contain as high as As per cent Of ale
hol, and there are many on the marke
it is said, that contain Is per cent
e alcohol These medicines are said
have immense sales in prohibition col
munities, figures collected in Mass
chusetts recently showing, it is declare
that one such advertised compound wi
a high percentage of whisky had be
bought to the extent Of 100000 bottl
in one year in prohibition communiti
of one New England state.
PATRICK Is MAYOR
Duloe tho noathtouao at SING Sing