412 EDITORIAL. 



confined to the Chinese. Some establishments in this part of the world 

 under the control of foreigners, place upon the market preparations 

 which are in many cases more reprehensible in their composition and in 

 the character of their advertising than the medicines manufactured 

 by the Chinese. Proprietary preparations from Japan, United States, 

 France, Spain, Holland, Germany, and some other countries are also to 

 be found upon the local markets. Among those which have been found 

 to be in violation of the "Food and Drugs Act" the following are typical 

 examples. 



A Spanish stomach tonic and a Japanese "injection" were both found 

 to contain cocaine. A Spanish pectoral paste contained heroin and a 

 "cholera elixir" was composed almost entirely of morp)hine and chloral 

 hydrate. Japanese "brain pills" were found to owe their effect to the 

 usual quantity of acetanilid. A widely advertised "dysentery cure" 

 much used among the foreign element in the Orient was found to contain 

 calcium carbonate 90.7, calcium phosphate 3.7, organic matter 3.6 and 

 water 2.0 per cent, and is reputed to be either ground cuttlefish bone or 

 ground oyster shells. Two bottles of liquid, shipped by mail, and pur- 

 porting to be a physician's prescription, were found to be concentrated 

 aqueous solutions of morphine sulphate. 



i\.nother preparation which "works miracles with every one that makes 

 use of it, and the Grace of the Omnipotent God is experienced in it to 

 admiration" is recommended in the accompanying advertising matter 

 as a cure for stones in the bladder, bruises in the hands or feet, black and 

 blue spots, thickness of blood, all kinds of fevers, asthma, liver troubles, 

 hysterical pains, dropsy, the French disease, worms, palpitation of the 

 heart, headache, burns, colic, and if put in the eyes "it will make you 

 so strong sighted that you need not use spectacles until the age of 70 or 

 80 years, thus . preserving the sight." Analysis shows the substance to 

 be a fish liver oil. 



The Narcotic Drug Law (Act No. 1761 of the Philippine Commission, 

 October 10, 1907) so restricts the use of opium, cocaine, alpha and beta 

 eucaine that many proprietaij medicines and preparations are denied 

 entry to the Philippine Islands. 



H. D. GiBBS. 



