The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1921-10-25
Regulations Allow Two
And a Half Gallons
At Time.
M ELLON UNABLE
TO DELAY LONGER
With Bill Blocked, Legal
Rights Clear, He
Says.

Secretary Of the Treasury Mellon
lifted the lid yesterday on the
manufacture and sale Of beer for
medicinal purposes.
Deciding not to await longer the
passage of the pending antibeer
bill by Congress, Mr.. Mellon issued
rigid regulations for the manufac-
ture of beer by authorized brew
cries and its sale by druggists
upon an authorized physicians pre-
scription. Not more than two and
one-half gallons of beer may be
prescribed at one time for use by
the same person.
The revised regulations limit the
prescription of whisky and brandy
to one pint for the same person
within ten days, of wine to two
quarts and of alcohol for external
use to one pint at a time. Drug
gists are directed to refuse to I'LL
prescriptions If convinced they are
issued for other than medicinal
purposes.
Can't Delay Longer.
The issuance of the beer regu-
lations," Mr.. Mellon explained. was
delayed originally because 1t
seemed probable that legislation
would be enacted whereby the ac-
tion Of the department would be of
no practical advantage to those In
terested: and this view appeared to
be acquiesced In by them, since
there was at that time no urgent
demand for the issuance of the
regulations. However, for some
time past 1t has been strongly
urged by those interested that this
department had no right longer to
withhold these regulations and
that in so doing the department
was denying to those interested
their clear legal right and thereby
imposing serious loss upon them.
The legal rights of fhe parties
concerned being plafn. the depart
ment Is unable longer to delay the
issuance of these regulations"
Bill Now in senate.
In some quarters 1t is predicted
that the action of the administra-
tion will strengthen the opposition
to the anti-beer bill and cause its
eventual defeat. The bill is pend
ing in the Senate in the form of a
conference report. but has been laid
aside until the tax bill Is passed
when, its hackers assert. 1t will be
brought forward again.
Representative Volstead, when he
heard Mr.. Mellon had tilted the lid
on medicinal beer, gasped, II don't
believe it," and would say no
more"
The same reasons for withhold
ing the regulations now exist as
have existed for several weeks
past" was all that could be elected
from Wayne B. Wheeler, counsel
for the Anti-Saloon League.
"For Medicine Only
The regulations require the sale
be labeled with the name of the
manufacturer. and the legend For
medicinal purposes only. Sale or
use for other purposes will cause
heavy penalties to be inflicted"
Other regulations follow:
ANY malt extract containing one
half of l per cent or more of alcohol
by volume, regardless of the guam
tity of extractive matter therein
derived from malt, are held to be
intoxicating liquors within the pur-
view of the national prohibition act
and regulations issued pursuant
thereto. Any malt extract intended
to be sold to the general public
without prescription must contain
less than one-half Of 1 per cent Of
alcohol by volume, and must be
manufactured, tax paid and sold in
the same manner as other cereal
beverages,
Doctor Goes Dry.
mo prescription shall be filled
calling for a greater quantity of
liquor than that authorized by these
regulations. and. a pharmacist should
refuse to fill any such prescription.
Physicians may not prescribe liquor
for their own personal use.
Every pharmacist filling a pre-
scription for intoxicating liquor
must, at the time of filling same,
indorse thereon over his signature
the word cancelled together with
the date the liquor was delivered.
A retail druggist must preserve in a
separate carefully-guarded> file each
prescription so filled.
Ffmt EVERY Zen Days.
mo prescription may be issued for
a greater quantity of intoxicating
liquor than is necessary for use as a
medicine by the person for whom
prescribed in the treatment of an
ailment from which such patient is
known by the physician to be suf-
fering. Not more than a pint of
spirituous (distilled) liquor to be
taken internally shall be prescribed
for use by the same person within
any period of ten days by one or
more physicians. When spirituous
(distilled) liquor Is administered to
any person by any physician or ply
sicians. as provided in section n.
the aggregate quantity so. admins
tered and the quantity prescribed
for such person may not exceed one
pint within any period of ten days.
Not more than q pint of alcohol
for external use may be prescribed
for the same patient at one time.
Not more than two quarts of wine
or two and one-half gallons Nof in
toxicating malt liquors to be taken
internally shall be prescribed at one
time for use by the same person.
Prescriptions for Intoxicating
liquor may only be filled by
licensed pharmacist, who is also
retail druggist, or by a licensed
pharmacist in the employ, of retail
druggist. A pharmacist employed
by any person other than a retail
druggist may not I'LL prescriptions
for Intoxicating liquor"