Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-03-23
The MiIliken Bill Defeate.d.

Mr.. Milliken then took from the table
the bill which provides for the proper
labelling of proprietary medicines con-
tanning alcohol and narcotic drugs on
which the committee on temperance
has submitted majority report of
ought rot to pass and a minority
report of ought to pass" in new draft.
Mr.. Millik"n discussed the merits Of
The bill and moved that the minority
report be substituted for the majority.
Mr.. MiIiken.
Mr.. Milliken in urging the passage Of
! the bill said that it Was in the interest
OF humanity that people b. informed o.
what they are taking as medicine. He
said that in every country as far as
ne was able to learn a law providing
for the labelling Of such medicines as
the provisions Of his bill suggests is
in vogUe.
Bills. he said similar III their prOvi-
SiOns to the one introduce! by him ha Ve
been introduced. this year in the Leg
islatUres Of 10 states of the Union
South Dakota has passed a bill of this
nature and in New Hampshire sucn a
bin passed the House but was defeated
in the Senate by Il very close margin.
THIS bill" continued Mr.. Millikcn.
lis being applied in some and is going
to he applied in the ether States Of
this Union.
Mr.. MilIiken said that the bill was
less drastic and less sWee ping in is
effects than other bills introduced in
the /, states of the Union and when
nave been adopted by nearly all civil
lied countries of the world. Some %!
these bills. he said. required the pro-
Queer to put the entire formula on the
bottle.
The speaker said that much fraud is
rcrpvtr,tcd under the suise Of sO-cail
ed patent medicines That many "f
them contained A big per cent. of alco-
hol and which acts as u stimuart much
as Nhskcy or any ether intoNicant.
He said that drugs IN large proportion
were put into the medicines whose e.i:
effects had been noticed and exposed
by number of reputable physicians.
He said that many drug and alcohol
| habits and morphine ticnds were made
through the taking Of some of these so
called patent medicines.
He said his bill did not require that
the entire formula should be publish
ed on the bottle but merely medicines
Of a proprietary nature should give on
their labels the per cent. of alcohol or
narcotic drugs which these medicines
contain. He said it was merely for tn"
information of persons taking these
medicines. They had right to know
what they were taking. He argued fur
ther that if people knew the deadly
drugs that many of these medicines
contain they would shun them as they
would a NenOmouS reptile.
Mr. Milliken said that he had had.
only yesterday talk with Dr. Young.
secretary of the State Board Of Health
concerning the merits of the bill. He
said that DR.. Young had authorized
rim to quote him as saying that this
bill was an effort in the right direction
and should receive a passage. That DR..
Young said the bill had tho hearty en-
dorscmcEt of the board Of health.
Mr.. Stevens.
Representative Stevens of Portland
opposed the bill and said that if the
House voted to accept the minority re-
port. he should insist on an amendment
to the bill which should make it less
sweeping in its effects.
Mr.. johnson.
REPRESENTATIVE johnson of Water
vile also attacked the provisions of the
| bill from lawyers standpoint.
Section of the bill reads. mo person
shall sell or expose for sale any pro-
prietary medicine containing alcohol.
| opium or any of its prepare tiOns. chlor-
| n. or cocaine or any Of its salts except
as hereafter provided" Mr.. Johnson
| said that there was no provision made
| in the section in favor Of a dealer who
sells medicine containing alcohol or
drugs. unknowingly. This was all
! wrong Mr.. johnson then attacked Sec