TIIE PATENT MEDICINE LICENCE. 
623 
been three times stripped from the tree and then renewed; and certainly it was 
greatly improved from the original bark. Some pieces of wood on the table 
were transverse sections of some of the trees of Cinchona succirubra , which had 
been stripped of their bark and had replaced it. They would observe the lines 
representing the first, second, third, and fourth growth, the old part contrasting 
with the appearance of the new. 
Mr. Hills asked whether the present specimens of bark yielded more quinine 
than was usually found in bark ? 
Mr. Howard said it appeared to him that the effect of cultivation was to 
increase the value of the product. There was one thing to be noticed, and that 
was that perhaps the quantity of cinchonidine was rather larger in East Indian 
bark than in Peruvian bark. The greater warmth and dryness of the atmo¬ 
sphere in the East Indies probably tended to the production of this alkaloid. 
THE PATENT MEDICINE LICENCE. 
Mr. Breton said he had been induced by several members of the Society to 
bring forward the subject of the patent medicine licence, and he therefore de¬ 
sired to give notice that, with the permission of the President, it was his inten¬ 
tion to introduce this subject at the next general meeting in May, with the view 
of devising some plan for the total abolition of the licence. He hoped he should 
then be able to lay before them some scheme by way of substitute ; and he begged 
all those who possessed influence either for or against the proposal to attend that 
meeting. It was not his intention that evening to dwell upon the subject, but 
merely to state, which he was able to do on good authority, that if they as a 
body were unanimous, the removal of this objectionable impost would be speedily 
and satisfactorily accomplished. 
The President remarked that the question of patent medicines was under 
consideration in one or two quarters of the Government. He had once heard it 
proposed to double the stamp. There were many difficulties in the laws rela¬ 
ting to this subject which the authorities would be very glad to have cleared 
up. They would like to consolidate the whole into one Act, so as to have a 
clear description of what a patent medicine was, and the duty to which it was 
liable. He believed the revenue from stamps and licences was about £90,000 
a vear. 
V 
Mr. MACKAYsaid that in Edinburgh they had one or two meetings upon this 
subject, and had discussed it very fully. The experience they had had was that 
the question was surrounded with very great difficulty. He had given the Pre¬ 
sident of this Society some indication by letter, that it was a most desirable 
thing that the Council should move in the matter, with the view of not only 
getting an equalization of the patent medicine licence, but, if possible, of get¬ 
ting it reduced to the minimum sum of 5s. He was not at all displeased that 
the matter had now taken a somewhat official form, and he hoped it would be 
carried forward by the Society. It was a most anomalous thing that the same 
licence should be two guineas in some places and in others 10s. and 5s. He did 
not think they could look forward at present to its entire removal; at the same 
time nothing was obtained without an effort. If there was a strong impression 
on the subject at the meeting in May, the friends in Edinburgh would be glad 
to lend a helping hand, and do what they could to get some remission or 
equalization of the licence. 
The President said he had seen the authorities at Somerset House, and the 
proposal he made to them was to equalize the licence. He thought it might be 
fixed at one uniform sum of 10s., and in this case the revenue would probably 
not suffer from the change. 
