Evening journal., 1915-07-19
DRUG Law FIXED
BY Corporation
U. S. Pharmacopoeia Only
Chartered Institution
With Such Power
ADULTERATION IS
GUARDED AGAINST

United states, attention has been d. !
rected to the United States Pharma-
copoeial Convention and TO the fact
that this organization, a private cor
poration. is the only business institu-
ton in the country which possesses
law-making power.
Very few persons are aware that
Congress- has indirectly delegated 10
this corporation. organized under the
laws of the District of Columbia, and
chartered for a term of 999 years, the
authority to broaden or narrow the
scope of the law and to set standards
of strength, quality or purity OF all
drugs which enter into interstate
commerce.
The United States Pharmacopoeia
Convention derives its unusual pow
ers through books which it published
and Which are known as the Phsrrld-
copoeia of the United States, or Ma
tional Formulary. These books are
compiled by a committee of the con
vention which also prints and sells
them They are. of course, protected
by copyright, just as most private
property of this sort is.
Mention of them in the Federal
drugs act is confined to two para
graphs, the first of which, Section 6,
provides:
THAT the term drug as used in
this act shall include all medicines
and preparations recognized in the
United States Pharmacopoeia or ma
tional formulary for internal or ex-
ternal use any substance or mixture
of substances Intended to be used for
the cure. mitigation or prevention Of
diseases Of either man or animals
The following section adds:
THAT for the purpose of this act
an article shall be deemed to be
adulterated
In case of drugs First. If, when a
drug is sold under or by a name rec
oenized in the United States Pharma-
copoeia or national formulary it diff
fers from the formula of strength,
quality OF purity, as determined by
80 tests laid down in the united
States Pharmacopoeia or national
formulary officials at the time of in
vcstigation Provided. that no drug
defined in the United States Pharma-
copoeia or national formulary shall
Ue QeeHlGu 10 DC duulltl dNNu uAAa1t
this provision if the standard of
strength. quality and purity be plain
ly stated upon tte bottle. box or other
container thereof although the stand
ard may differ from that determined
by the test laid down in the United
states Pharmacopoeia or national for
mulary.
Second. II the strength or purity
o. l. aHn L. ~ or
quality under which il is sold"
The important words in the forego-
ing from the standpoint Of lawmak-
ing power. are these: Official at the
time of Investigation"
To Standardize Cold Cream.
The Pbarmacopoeia is ordinarily re-
vised once in 10 years, the current
edition being the eighth decennial re-
sision. Work on the ninth revision
is now in progress, and it is from this
the committee in charge proposes to
eliminate whisky and brandy and in
which il plans to make other numer-
ous changes. When the new edition
is issued therefore, the eighth decen-
NAL revision now used by druggists
chemists and manufacturers general
" as their standard will cease to be
official and the ninth edition will have
TO be adopted.
An illustration of how changes in
the book from time to time might az
feet manufacturers was furnished by
a question which has safely been be-
fore the committee on revision. There
are thousands cf manufacturers in
the United States who are making a
product which they design as cold
cream. Hardly any two of them are
using the same formula.
They are able to manufacture their
separate products in accordance with
what they believe to be the best meth
suds. because the Pharmacopoeia OF
the United States does not recognize
cold cream as an Official preparation
However. the Pharmacopoeia does
contain specifications for a product
known as unguentum aqua rose, OF
ointment of rose water. This might
fairly be called the mother of cold
cream, but lacking the essential char
acteristics of remaining sweet and
fresh at all times under marketing
conditions which prevail in this coun-
try.
In other words II is a phaTmaceuti-
cal preparation rather than an ordi'
nary article of merchandise u Is
used, when used at ALL chiefly as a
base of medicants and is little knovr
outside of medical and pharmaceutl-
cal circles.
. However. it has been proposed e
change the name of this preparation
to cold cream and 10 make certain
changes in the official process witt
a view of Transforming it into more
stable product.
The direct result Of such actor
would be to make it unlawful TO mar
ket any product in interstate com
merce under the name cold cream
which does not comply with the new
formula Therefore, the trade brands
established through years of worl
would be worthless
Aimed Against Mishrandlng.
The purpose of this law is not, al
many persons imagine, 70 prohibi
the sale of non-standard goods. but L
prevent them frcm being sold undei
false pretense. Brandy. for instance
is now official. but that does not in
terfere with the right Of any one I,
sell an inferior grade OF brandy. pro
vided "the standard of strength. quail
ify or purity be plainly stated upol
the box. bottle or other containe
thereof"
The law, therefore, is aimed not a
the goods themselves, but at misrep
reservations of them. It's purpose 1
chiefly so far as drugs are concernei
10 prevent misbranding.
In view of the extraordinary power
conferred unon the IT, 6 Pharmaco