Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-01-27
FEDERAL STATUTE IS
AIMED At DRUG TRADE
New Law Against Cocaine, Morphine
and Herein Takes Effect
March I.
STRINGENT TIoNs
Records to BE Kept Of All Sales,
With Full Name and Address Of
Patients, Open at All Times to
Federal Inspection.

! Under an act of Congress approved
on December II, 1914, drastic regu-
lations governing the sale or dispensing
OF opium or coca leaves. or any COM
pound, salt, dcrivatlvc or preparation
| thereof. will be In force on and after
March /. The sale of any habit -form-
| ing drug will be SO hcdgcd about by
governmental prccaution that the en-
forccmont of the act is expected greatly
| to reduce the present wide addiction to
| dangerous and slow poisoning opiates.
| It is required that records OF all pre-
SCriptionS and sales are to be kept ac-
| ceSSiblc to til" agents Of the Treasury
| Department for two years. and even
the names and addresses of all patients
| and the dates upon which they receive
| the drug will be kept on file. Under
| this system ii will be possible for gov
crnment agents to trace any sale and
| to learn whether fraud has been prac-
| ticcd IN obtaining any of tho opiates
named in the act. Police will be great
! ly aided in reducing the number OF
| Illicit cocaine vendors. and It will he
as nearly impossible as the law can
make it for any habituai user of nerve
soothing drugs to procure them
ALL DISPENSERS OF DRUGS
MUST OBTAIN LICENSE
the act provides that every person
who deals in, diSpcnscs sells dis
| tributes or gives away opium or coca
! leaves or any of their derivatives shall
register with the collector OF revenue
OF the district his name. place of bust
ness and place or places where such
| business is to be carried on. At the
! time Of the initial registry and on or
before July ! annually thereafter every
| person (Which means corporation
hlso) dealing in any way whatsoever
\ n hnr Df 1,r.., IL,
leaves or in any drugs manufactured
| from them shall pay a license tax of
81 a year. And II will he unlawful for
any person or corporation to deal In
the described drugs without having
! registered and paid tho special tax
1t Will be required that no druggist
or apothecary, or any other person.
shall sell or dispense such drug except
| In pursuance of u written order of the
person to whom the article is sold or
| given, OH a form to he issued in blank
for that purpose by the commissioners
| of internal revenue.
RECORDS OF EACH SALE
TO he KEPT TWO YEARS
Records of such sales or dispcnsation
| are to he kept for a period OF two years
! and II is required that the records shall
Do readily accessible to inspection by
any officer. agent or cmployc of the
' treasury Department authorized for
| mat purpose. and duplicates of all
| orders accepted are to be preserved for
! Il like period under like regulations
Nothing in this section OF the act
shall apply 10 the dispensing or dis
tribution OF any OF the drugs to a
patient by physician. dentist or vet
crihary surgeon registered under the
act in the course Of his professional
practice only provided that he shall
Keep record Of all such drugs dis
penscd or distributed, showing the
amount dispensed or distributed the
! date and the name and address Of the
| patient. except in the case where the
physician, dentist or veterinary sur
gcon is in personal attendance upon the
| patient, the record to be kept for Il
period of two years from the date of
the dispensing or distributing. All pre-
scriptonS must he signed by the phy-
stefan, dentist or veterinary surgeon,
ana the dealer must preserve the pre-
| scription 70, two years and hold ii
subject TO inspection by the proper au-
| thoritics The blank forms for all
| these purposes Will he sold by collec-
tors of internal revenue at Il price TO
! he liked by the Commissioner of In
tcrnal Revenue, the price not to en-
coed 81.
| WHAT exceptions ARE