The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-05-16

alton is on the market and can be
found in drug stores in Washington,
the names of which have been furnished
this office. You further inclose to me
the formula of Peruna as it is now
manufa ctured, and also an analysis of
the new product made by DR.. Virgil
Coblentz, professor of chemistry in the
College of Pharmacy, New York City
Your desire is that this Office ex-
anime the product compounded and
placed upon the market under the new
formula, and see whether or not the
change in the compound removes il
from the restrictions of prior rulings of
this Bureau.
This Office will comply with your re-
quest-will purchase in the open market
the new preparation examine ii and
notify you of the result
Complying with that promise this
Office, through its chemist, purchased
in open market a bottle of Peruna made
under the new formula and as now
prepared and sold. ANALYSIS was made
of this bottle, and compared with pre-
vious analyses made of the original
Peruna as found upon the market and
analyzed and made basis of the ruiz
ing placing Peruna within the list of
alcoholic compounds the sale Of which
would require the securing from the
Government of a special-tax stamp as
retail liquor dealer. It was found that
the preparation as sold now was in ac-
cordance with the formula given by
you to this Office, and that there had
been a change in the medicinal strength
of the preparation and small decrease
in its alcoholic strength. After this
analysis was made by the chemist of
this Bureau 1t was submitted to the
honorable Secretary of the Treasury,
and by his direction II was Sumbitted to
the Surgeon General of the Public
Health and Hospital Service.
On March Is the Surgeon General in a
communication to the honorable Secre-
tary Of the Treasury, and referring to
the result of the examination in the lab
oratOry of the Internal Revenue Bureau
of a preparation called tPeruna," and
another preparation, says:
These letters were transmitted to me
with verbal request for an opinion as
to whether the drugs are Of a character
and in sufficient quantity in the said
preparations to preclude the use Of these
preparations as beverages. The matter
was referred to the director the
hygienic laboratory and certain Of his
assistants, and I concur in their opin-
ion that the preparation called Pc
runa" contains drugs Of such char
acter and in sufficient quantity to war
rant its consideration as medicine and
to inhibit its use generally as q bevers
age"
BY reason Of the changes made IN the
formula under which PeFuna IS now
produced and placed '--,cn the market.
and by reason Of the analysis made IN
this Bureau and the opinion Of the
Surgeon General Of the Public Health
and Marine-H Hospital Service, above
quoted. this Office is of the opinion that
Peruna when prepared according to the
formula now used contains sufficient
drugs to render the preparation one be-
yond the ruling Of this office Of date
September Il, 1906 and therefore per
sons compromising and selling same win
not be required to secure a speciaI-ta5
stamp, either as rectiflers, wholesale
dealers, OF retail dealers Of spirituouE
or vinous liquors.
Respectfully,
JOHN ". YERKES. Commissioner.
DR.. S. B. Hartman, Columbus Ohio.