AMERICAN  PHARMACEUTICAL  ASSOCIATION. 
495 
S.  M.  Colcord,  of  Boston,  moved  it  be  received  and  placed 
upon  the  files.  Adopted. 
[This  Letter  was  obtained  from  Dr.  Bailey,  through  the  solicitation  of  Mr. 
Coggeshall,  as  a  report  on  the  progress  of  Drug  Inspection  since  last  meeting.  The 
letter  is  too  long  to  insert  entire,  yet  as  only  one  item  in  it  was  directed  to  be  pub- 
lished by  authority  of  the  Association,  we  will  give  a  general  idea  of  its  contents. 
Dr.  Bailey  cheerfully  responds  to  the  request,  to  the  extent  permitted  by  his  slight 
leisure.  In  reference  to  the  quantity  of  drugs  imported  and  passed  at  New  York, 
he  regrets  that  it  is  not  in  his  power  to  give  an  accurate  statement,  but  believes 
that  the  average  is  about  200,000  packages  annually.  The  weight  or  value  he 
has  no  means  of  determining.  This  inability  arises  from  no  provision  having 
been  made  by  Congress  to  keep  such  records,  which  would  require  the  services 
of  a  clerk.  In  his  communication  of  last  year,  to  be  found  in  the  proceedings  of 
the  Convention  of  1853,  Dr.  Bailey  gave  an  expose  of  all  the  important  articles 
rejected  by  him  to  that  date,  and  remarks,  "I  now  in  continuation,  mention  the 
more  important  articles  rejected  by  me  during  the  some  eleven  months  that  have 
transpired  since  the  date  of  the  communication  above  referred  to: 
Senna,  - 
11,820 
lbs. 
Rhubarb,  .... 
610 
it 
Spurious  Peruvian  Bark, 
38,459 
(C 
Scammony,  - 
495 
CI 
Opium,               -  - 
675 
iC 
Squills,  - 
1,537 
it 
Sugar  of  Lead,  - 
11.017 
u 
Gum  Benzoin,  ... 
860 
a 
Lac.  Sulphur,  - 
3,620 
it 
Carbonate  of  Magnesia, 
3,900 
u 
Calcined  Magnesia. 
875 
u 
Manna,  - 
720 
u 
Aloes,  - 
246 
u 
Sarsaparilla,  - 
4,370 
a 
Guaiacurn  Resin, 
1,130 
a 
Gum  Myrrh,  - 
837 
it  11 
Making  together  some  90,000  pounds  exclusive  of  various  medicinal  preparations, 
nostrums,  &c,  in  small  quantities,  rejected  from  time  to  time,  but  not  consid- 
ered of  sufficient  importance  to  specially  note.  The  sum  total  of  the  various 
drugs,  medicines,  &c,  rejected  by  me  since  the  day  the  law  went  into  operation 
at  this  port  (July  12,  1848)  is  some  710,000  pounds." 
{<  1  am  happy  to  find  that  the  Circular  Instructions  lately  issued  by  the  Secre- 
tary of  the  Treasury,  explanatory  of  the  spirit  and  intent  of  the  Law  regulating 
the  importation  of  drugs,  &c.  meets  with  very  general  approval.  They  have 
long  been  needed,  and  wiil  prove  of  great  use  and  benefit  to  those  who  may  be 
intrusted  with  the  administration  of  said  law.  Whilst  they  will  relieve  the  Spe- 
cial Examiners  from  much  embarrassment,  heretofore  experienced  for  the  wantof 
some  special  standard  by  which  to  govern  themselves,  they  must  of  necessity, 
if  honestly  adhered  to,  produce  a  perfect  uniformity  of  action  among  that  class  of 
officers  at  the  different  ports  of  entry.  It  is  possible  that  those  who  ar^ue  that 
everything  '  good  of  its  kind'  in  the  way  of  drugs  should  pass  the  Custom  House 
for  consumption,  may  not  particularly  relish  these  hi^h-toned  standards.  Egyp- 
tian Opium,  Montpellier  Scammony,  French  and  English  Rhubarb,  Bastard  Jalao, 
Jalap  tops,  spurious  Cinchona  Bark,  furnishing  on  analysis  none  of  the  natural 
alkaloids,  together  with  many  other  articles  of  so  called  drugs  that  could  be 
mentioned,  all  good  of  their  kind,  would,  I  admit,  find  little  favor  with  the  Spe- 
cial Examiner  acting  under  present  instructions." 
In  speaking  of  the  necessity  of  uniformity  in  the  action  of  the  several  Exami- 
ners, Dr.  Bailey  complains  of  a  practice  in  vogue  by  some  importers,  of  entering 
goods  at  other  ports  in  bond,  where  they  are  examined,  and  afterwards  sending 
