' 80 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



centuries the manufacture of "secret" preparations increased 

 enormously", and " choice receipts " were sold for large sums. 

 Thus, the English Government paid one thousand pounds to one 

 Johanna Stevens for her mysterious specific for the stone, which 

 turned out to be calcined snail-shells. 



Indeed, the sale of nostrums in England had now grown to he 

 a most flourishing and profitable business. To such proportion 

 did the trade grow that at last the Crown stepped in and demanded 

 a duty and a restriction upon prepared drugs. 



The two statutes which originated and regulated the right of 

 compounding preparations of medicines were passed in 1783. The 

 first act granted to his Majesty " a stamp duty upon all licenses to 

 be taken by certain persons uttering and vending medicines, and 

 certain stamp duties on all medicines sold under such licenses, or 

 under authority of his Majesty's letters patent, except such as 

 had served a regular apprenticeship to any surgeon or apothecary 

 as chemist and druggist." 



Two years later, by act, 25 George III, chap. 22, other and 

 more liberal conditions and privileges were granted, as follows : 

 " Any person whatsoever who has, or claims to have, any secret 

 art or sole right of compounding preparations of drugs, and ad- 

 vertising and recommending the same as specifics for the cure or 

 relief of any complaint or malady, shall affix a Government stamp 

 to the vials, vessels, or inclosures containing them." 



Any one who violated the statute or who defrauded the state 

 of the stamp duty was adjudged a felon. In the strong words of 

 the statute, such a person " shall suffer death, as in case of felony, 

 without benefit of clergy." 



These statutes remained on the books, with little alteration or 

 amendment, for nearly a hundred years. In 1868 the Pharmacy 

 act was passed " to regulate the sale of poisons for the safety of 

 the public." But section sixteen expressly says that "nothing 

 heretofore contained shall extend to or interfere with the making 

 or dealings in patent medicines." In 1875 another act was passed 

 to the effect that, "a uniform duty of five shillings be payable 

 throughout Great Britain." 



The general patent acts of the United States were passed in 

 1790. They follow, in many respects, the old English legislation 

 on the subject. The sole right of compounding medicines was 

 allowed under the phrase, " composition of matter." What may 

 be patented ? The law says, " any new and useful art, machine, 

 manufacture, or composition of matter." See the result. To take 

 a noteworthy example : a patent was denied to the discoverers of 

 the anaesthetic powers of chloroform and ether, but quacks, with 

 their nostrums, could take out patents. In 1874 a law was passed 

 abrogating the practice of copyrighting labels for patent medi- 



