Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-11
SALE OF PATENT DRUGS
STRINGENT BILL PROPOSED Fo1
ADOPTION BY CONGRESS.
Harmful Effects of Certain Prepare.
lions Pointed out-Legislation
Elsewhere

The crusade against certain harmful
patent and proprietary medicines.
which has been prosecuted with no Ittlo
vigor in other jurisdictions, seems about To
begin In the District of Columbia CODY
OF the form of bill which is being urged
before several state legislatures was re-
ceiyed by Commissioner Macfarland a day
or two ago from DIR. James d. Morgan OF
9l9 18th street northwest. and accompany.
ing the drafted bill DR. Morgan wrote a
letter urging the Importance of some SUCH
measure. in the course of which he said:
1T does not need physician to argue
the Importance of this bill Go to any
sanitarfum or insane asylum in this coun-
try and see the number of unfortunates
held there because they are slaves TO
choral. cocaine, morphia and other mar
cotics. Consider the loss and expense to the
District of supporting this portion of the
body polite, which is not only inert. but
positively harmful In the hospitals OF
Washington physicians see them CONSTANT
ly. To break them of their pernicious hat-
its takes long and patient nursing ana
watching, and unstable and unhappy
Wretches that they are, when rid of their
demon and returned to the busy world the
least rebuff of adversely makes them fly IN
haste for solace to their merciless ana
phantom friend-the drug"
Provisions of the Measure.
The draft of bill forwarded by DIR. Nor
gan would make 1t requisite for the sale
or offering for sale in the District of Co.
lumbia of any so-cailed patent" or PRO
prietary' medicine that the formula or
schedule of the ingredients contained
therein be printed plainly on the wrappers
and labels of each such package. Another
requirement is that in case there is con-
tanned more than stated proportion OF
dangerous drugs the package be plainly la
'beled poison" Other provisions are for
analyses by the board of health and for the
punishment of any person or persons found
guilty of violation of the commands of the
projected statute.
The matter was referred to Health Oficer
William c. Woodward. and beside recon-
mending that the communication he for
warded to the corporation counsel for the
modification of the draft of proposed law
so as to make 1t conform to the system OF
laws now existing I'm the District. and that
an effort then be made to secure It's enact
ment by Congress, he said:
Believes In Strict Law.
After recent exposures of the extent and
nature of the patent and proprietary medf-
cine frauds and OF the evils that have arisen
and are arising from 1t. no legislation for
their restriction can be too radical. Thn
fraud depends for its success on secrecy -
to the composition of the nostrnms veude1.
and the prevention of secrecy would 60 =
long way toward preventing the fraud ana
a long way toward preventing the physfcaI
and mental injury resulting from It Ths
fact that not every person in the commune
ity would comprehend the ssgnificance o.
printed formulate Is immateriai: q very
large proportion of the community would
them sufficiently to know
whether they were or were not dangerou4
and every member of the community would
at least be Afforded an opportunity 70 49,
quaint himself with the fact so far ~ It =
such opportunity.