New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-01
Special Section Passed to
Curb Evils Barred by
The Tribune.
REGISTRATION FOR
PATENT MEDICINES
Habit-FOrming Drugs and
Disease Get New Check
i'm Revised Code.

Goldwater of the Health Department
against patent medicine takers and
frauds, resulted in the passage yes
terday of health ordinance which will
put stop to the abuses the public has
so long endured in ths direction.
Section III of Article s of the Sani-
tsry Code now provides specifically that
the ingredients of all proprietary OF
patent medicines" shall be registered
with the Health Department. As
adopted by the Board Of Health the
new section of the revised Sanitary
Code reads:
"Regulating the sale Of proprietary
and patent medicines.-No proprietary
or patent medicine manufactured, pre-
pared, or intended, for internal human
use, shall be held, offered for sale, sold
or given away, in the City of New York,
until the following requirements shall,
in each instance, have been met:
"The names of the ingredients of
every such medicine shall be registered
in the Department of Health in such
manner as the Regulations of the
Board of Health may prescribe.
Patent Medicines Defined.
The expression proprietary or pat
ent medicine for the purposes of this
section, shall be taken TO mean and in
clude every medicine or medicinal COM
pound. manufactured, prepared, or in
tended, for internal human use. the
name. composition, or definition of
which is not to be found In the United
States PharmacopGia or National For
mulary or which does not bear the
name of each ingredient cOnspicuously,
clearly, and legib!y set forth, in Eng
lish. on the outside of each bottle, box,
or package in which tie said medicine
or medicinal compound is held. offered
for sale. sold, or given away.
"The provisions 81 this section shall
not, however, apply to any medicine or
medicinal compound, sold or given
away upon the written prescription OF
duly licensed physician, provided
such medicine or medicinal compound
be sold or given away to or for the
use Of the person for whom it shall
have been prescribed, and provided
also. that the said prescription shall
have been filed at the establishment
or place where such medicine or me-
dicinal compound is sold or given away
in chronological order. according TO the
date of the receipt Of such prescription
at such establishment or place.
Every such prescription shall re-
main so filed for a period Of five years.
Method of Registration. /
"The names of the ingredients of pro-
prietary and patent medicines, regis
tered in accordance with the terms OF
this section, and all information re-
lating thereto or connected Herewith,
shall be regarded as confidential, and
shall not be open to inspection by the
public or any person other than the
official custodian of such records in the
Department of Health, such persons as
may be authorized by law to inspect
such records, and those duly authorized
to prosecute or enforce the federal
statutes. the laws of the State OF New
York, both criminal and civil, and the
ordinances of the City of New YORK,
hut only for the purpose of such pros
ecution or enforcement"
On October | IF this year the sec
ton will take effect, the interval be-
ing allowed in order that many drug
eists. department stores and others
Eoving on hand stocks of patent med
icines may get rid of them.
In connection with this section there
is another new and interesting sec
tion. bearing incidentally on the cru
sade the Tribune conducted year
or two ago against the drug sellers,
and which resulted in the passage Of
the Boylan law. This new section pro-
bjbits leaving at houses free" sam
ples of medicines. II has been found
that many of the pills and nostrums
tossed upon dOorsteps contained
heroin, cocaine or other drugs. Man
ufacturers may distribute samples to
nbysicians or the trade, but not to in
d,yidual homes. Section l2l, also
new. prohibits physicians from charg-
inv for antitoxin he has received free
from the Board of Health.
Up 10 the present time private hos
pitals had no city supervision, but
now they will come under the direc-
ton OF the Board OF Health, and must
have authorized permits.
TO Curb Spread of Disease.
Infectious diseases are dealt with
in additional sections. One new sec
tion provides that no person suffer
ing from an infectious disease shall
DO any manufacturing in a tenement
house except for his own use. This
Is A state law already, but has been
written into the Ssnitory Code so
that the Health Departments in
spectors may work with other depart
ments and authorities without con-
Aict. The same rule has been fol-
lowed in many other sections.
In the future factories and other es-
Establishments where persons are em-
ployed will be reported. Cases OF
ptomaine poisoning viii be reported
also. that the source or origin OF the
poisoning may be found If possible.
former section provided that chill
dren suffering from diseases of child
hood should be excluded from the
schools, and new section prohibits
the employment Of teachers and in
structors afflicted with tuberculosis or
similarly dangerous diseases.
A. ;...ree.ipy fhauge ia TIM. chill