Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-09-27
The Benefit and Necessity Of
The New Law.
Many Drugs Are so Adulterntcd rs to
Rob Them Of Any strength or Value
"A List OF Drugs Most Fro
quentiy Adulterated.

iioti' sweeping IN lts Cudractci' ny "h'SH
everybody except the adulterator and
substtutor will benefit.
With the exception Of those who con-
slider Themselves and others amenable
always to psychical and other immaterlai
influences. all Of us at one time or an
other find 1t expedient to stimulate some
torpid function or secretion or TO retard
1t till some depressing crisis Is passed.
Perhaps the heart needs to be sustained.
THE DEGENERATION OF THE
DRUG TRADE.
Perhaps sosne painful affection needs to
he smoothed over with mn anodyne. Per-
haps some poisonous substance has been
swallowed by accident or intent and an
antidote either chemical or physiological
is demanded.
without argument It Is generally ad-
mitted that the corner drug store" is
n common utility In civilized life.
Degeneration Of tho drug trade to
point where a revolution was demanded
has been brought abou, by two prime fac
tors which operate throughout all COM
mercee. viz a desire on the part Of the
majority OF buyers to get something good
at low price and the cupidity Of the
seller who extracts values from conn
modities without changing the price. For
instance, ginger root Is often maceratcd
in alchohol and, all or nearly all Of its
virtue extracted, II Is subsequently, dried
and sold for full strength ginger. Under
the law thus to extract the medical and
aromatic principles and subsequently, sell
the residue as the whole root Is deemed
adulteration and punishable accordingly.
The average intelligent person is but
little aware Of the gross impositons that
have been practsed upon him that will
be corrected by the enforcement of this
national law. | make no alluson here
to so-called patent medicines and pro-
prietary nostrums, but refer only to
"official' drugs and preparations listed
in thte United States Pharmacopoela (all
so listed are spoken of ns Officially Never
theless all proprietary medicines come
under the law and must conform in con-
tents and truth to tho label.
| The official drugs End preparations Of
the United states Phnrmacopoeia COM
prise many classes of agents, among
which are crude drugs. fluid extracts.
tinctures. powders. ointments, syrups
elixirs. pills solutions, singly or in COM
bina ton. pills or tablets. for instance,
which are now often made up with less
OF some expensive ingredient than is
called for on the label or in the prescrin-
ton must row be true to the formula
Sugar of milk" that now is so much
used as a baby food, must be sugar of
milk and not starch or glucose.
A brief extract from the law may here
be ,-perused with interest.
THE NATIONAL. LAW.
Penalty for each offence not more than
$500 or one years imprisonment. or both.
The sections OF vital interest follow:
Section C. That the term drug as
used In this act, shall include all medi-
cines and preparations recognized in the
United States Pharma copoeia or Nat
ionai Formulary for internal or external
use, and any substance or mixture of
substances intended to he used for the
cure. mitigation or prevention OF disease
of either man or animals The term food
as used herein, shall include all articles
used for food drink, confectionery, or
condiment by man or other animals,
whether simple. mixed or compound.
Section :. That for the purpose OF
this act an article shall be deemed to be
adulterated.
I'm case Of drugs
First. II, when n drug is sold under
or by a name recognized in the United
States Pharmacopoe'a or National For
mulary, 1t differs from tho standard OF
strength. quality. or purity. as detcrmin-
ed by the test laid down in the United
States Pharmacopoeia of National Formu-
Harry official at the time OF .nvestiRa ton
Provided that no drug defined In the
United States Pharmo copoeia or National
Formulary shall be deemed to be adul-
terated under this provision IL the stan
dard OF strength. quality or purity he
plainly stated upon the bottle. box, o,
other container thereof. although the
standard may differ from that determin
ed by the test laid down in the United
States Pharmacopocia or National For
mulary.
Second. If its strength or purity fal
below the professed standard or quail
lity under which II is sold,
"Section s. That the term 'Misbrand.
ed. as used herein. shall apply to al
} drugs, or articles ~ food. articles which
enter into the compostioN Of food, tn
, package or /lab OF which shall bear an,
statement. design or device regarding
such article. or the ingredients or sub
stances contained therein which shall b.
false or misleading In any particular
} and to any food or drug product which
Is falsely branded as to the State. Terri
: tory or county IN which II IL manufac
Z tured or produced
THAT for the purpose of this act a,
article shall also be deemed to be mis-
branded
I'm the case Of drugs:
, First. II II he an imitation OF or of
' fered for sale m,der tho name OF anothe
3 article.
Second II the contents OF the pack
age as originally put up shall have BEEF
= removed, IN whole or In part, and othe
contents shall have been placed in sue
I package, or II the package fail to bea
5 a statement on the label Of the Quantit
: Tor proportion of any alcohol, morphine
4 opium. cocaine. heroin, alpine or bet
y eucaine. chloroform, cannabis indica
choral hydrate, or acetanilide or an
derlvative or preparation OF any sue
substances contained therein.
s Concerning the label the law furthe
a states:
Z The statement OF ingredients shall b
clearly separated from and not inter
spersed or COMPOUNDED with other matter
8 shall specify every ingredient by II
@ ordinary name and shall be in the FL,
5 glish language" THE required lab'
r shall be firmly attached TO or printed o
+ the exterior Of the package or envelop
a of the said article"