Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-07-05

health men favored a campaign a8ainst
fleas. This always seemed quite impos-
at the time thought that bubonic was
carried mostly by humans. DR.. Blue
knew that the disease was spread in this
manner to certain extent. but the thing
which must be done. he said, was to fight
the rats which carried the fleas which
carried tho disease to humans This was
accepted as the line Of attack on the
dreaded plague in the second San Fran
cisco campaign. and inasmuch as this
fight is considered the most successful
the world during any period. It Is fair te
assume that the present public health
chief was right in sticking to his chase
after the fea-carrying rodents
Tho Philippine government now has
just put in operation what Is considered
tho m 8 {
New Philippine Law drastic law
on Medicinal Labels. IN tho ~orlo
the labelling. sale and advertising Of all
patent and proprietary medicines han
died throughout the archipelago.
UP until July the Cuban ptarmaceut-
cal regulations were considered the most
radical OF any in operation in any coun-
try. The Philippine law. however. Is
even more drastic. and includes every
known provision to protect the people Of
the Islands against exploitation by fraud
ulent medicine manufacturers The
measure not only regulates the labelling
and sale Of medicines. but also contains
provisions which prohibit all false, fraud
uien1. exaggerated or misleading adver-
using for patent medicines, and pro-
vides penalties of fines not moro than
sIoo IN American money, or six months
imprisonment, or both fine and fmprison-
ment, for violations.
Inc drastic part Of the law which will
prooaoiy De objected to by many manu-
facturers Is that the full formulas for
making the products which are sold must
be plainly and legibly expressed. both in
quantity and in quality, upon the label
OF the bottle or package or container.
The law provides that If any non-official
drug or substance be used in the prepa-
ration, 1t shall be described in Its ordi-
| nary terms. and mot by any fancy or
preparatory name"
Publicity of patent medicine formulas
Is a feature Of the new law which will
be objected to strenuously by the patent
be made to the Secretary of the United
States Department of State to urge some
change in the law. It is claimed bv the
manufacturers of secret-formula products
their business.
The law provides that no preparation,
whether OF simple substance or Of COM
pounded substances shall be accompa-
MED by any advertisement. announce
ment. recommendation. testimonial, ref
erence, mark of distinction. picture or
symbol, either upon the article itself or
upon the container. which is in any way
false, fraudulent, exaggerating or mis-
/ leading.
The new law attempts what has never
been attempted by the United States
government. and this Is a prohibition
against an announcement or advertise
| ment Of any proprietary or secret cure.
or any fraudulent therapeutic which shall
be published in any newspaper, journal,
serial book, pamphlet. handful or poster
| within the Jurisdiction Of the Philippine
Islands which may be fraudulent. false
or exaggerated.
American pride in the great reclama-
ton projects, through which the desert
has been mde to
Irrigation in bloom like the
Ancient Times. into s' the a habttation
Of man. was given great and rude
shock recently when an eminent English
ban, Sir William Willcocks. visiting
Washington to learn about Yankee
methods Of irrigation. told the govern
ment engineers that the original garden
of Eden was the result Of an artificial
plan Of irrigation. just as scientific and
correct from an engineering standpoint
as the plans for the governments largest
reclamation projects in the west.
Sir William, whose fame rests upon the
building of the great Assouan dam. in
Egypt, where he has turned the lands
of the Pharoahs back to their original
fertility, has been recently engaged by
the Turkish government in retaining
ancient Mesopotamia. The success OF
the English engineer in Egypt caused
the Turkish government to loosen its
purse strings to the extent Of $4,000 900.
and the work is now under way In sec
lions. The English irrigation expert and
his engineers have made careful sur
vey Of Mesopotamia, and have discovered
parts Of an ancient system of irrigation
so well preserved that some Of the canals
are to be used in the new project after
the mud Of centuries is taken out:
1t was while on this survey that Sir
the location Of the traditional garden
of Eden, with full equipment Of irriga-
ton canals. He explained to the engf-
neers of the reclamation service and
den Of Eden could not have been q garden
at all without the irrigation system
The supposed location Of the garden
is surrounded by a wall or dixie two feet
high, with openings TOT inc CanalS- Inc
English engineer said that during high
water in the rivers Euphrates and Tigris
the dixie kept the water from flooding the
garden and in the dry season the gates
were open and the water entered the
canals.
In this irrigation work in Mesopotamia
Sir William will have to meet many
problems similar to those which have
been conquered by the governments en-
gineers in the west. and the purpose OF
his visit to this country is to make
a thorouehgoing vestigation of what
Uncle Sam has done in his line of engi-
neering. While travelling over the west
ern irrigation projects this summer the
distinguished English visitor will serve
the United States reclamation service
as consulting engineer whenever he is
called upon for advice.