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INSPECTION  OF  DRUGS. 
officers  of  the  customs  as  to  what  particular  articles  of  commerce 
should  be  considered  drugs  and  medicines,  and  as  such  subject  to 
special  examination  by  the  special  examiner  of  drugs  and  medi- 
cines, it  is  thought  proper  to  state  that,  in  conformity  with  the  evi- 
dent spirit  and  intent  of  the  law,  it  is  required  that  all  articles  of 
merchandise  used  wholly  or  in  part  as  medicine,  and  found 
described  as  such  in  the  standard  works  specially  referred  to  in  the 
act,  must  be  considered  drugs  and  medicines,  and  that  all  invoices, 
therefore,  of  such  articles,  in  whole  or  in  part,  must  be  submitted 
to  the  examination  of  the  special  examiner  of  drugs  and  medicines, 
before  they  can  be  permitted  to  pass  the  custom  house. 
In  the  examination  on  entry  of  any  medicinal  preparation,  the 
said  special  examiner  is  to  unite  with  the  appraiser. 
With  a  view  to  afford  a  reliable  guide  to  the  examiner  of  drugs 
and  medicines,  as  well  as  to  the  analytical  chemist,  on  appeal,  in  as- 
certaining the  admissibility  of  such  articles  under  the  provisions  of  the 
law  founded  on  their  purity  and  strength,  the  following  list  is  given 
of  some  of  the  principal  articles,  with  the  result  of  special  tests 
agreeing  with  the  standard  authorities  referred  to  in  the  law,  all  of 
which  articles  are  to  be  entitled  to  entry  when  ascertained  by  ana- 
lysis to  be  composed  as  noted,  viz  : 
Aloes,  when  affording  80  per  cent  of  pure  aloetic  extractive. 
Assafcetida,  when  affording  50  per  cent,  of  its  peculiar  bitter  resin, 
and  3  per  cent,  of  volatile  oil. 
Cinchona  Bark,  when  affording  1  per  cent,  of  pure  quinine, 
whether  called  Peruvian,  Calisaya,  Arica,  Carthagena,  Maracaibo, 
Santa  Martha,  Bogota,  or  under  whatever  name,  or  from  whatever 
place  ;  or 
Cinchona  Bark,  when  affording  2  per  cent,  of  the  several  alka- 
loids combined,  as  quinine,  cinchonine,  quinidine,  aricine,  &c,  the 
the  barks  of  such  strength  being  admissible  as  safe  and  proper  for 
medicine  and  useful  for  chemical  manufacturing  purposes. 
Benzoin,  when  affording  80  per  cent,  of  resin,  or 
"  4k  12      U       of  benzoic  acid, 
Colocynth     "  12      "       of  colocynthin. 
Elate ri um     "  30      "       of  elaterin. 
Galbanum,  when  affording  60  per  cent,  of  resin  : 
"  "  10      "        of  gum  and ' 
"  'e  6      "        of  volatile  oil. 
Gamboge,         "  70      "       of  pure  gamboge  resin,  and 
"  20      "        of  gum, 
Guaiacum,        "  80      "       of  pure  guaiac  resin. 
Gum  ammoniac  "  70      "       of  resin,  and 
"  "  13      "       of  gum. 
Jalap,  when  affording  11  per  cent,  of  pure  jalap  resin,  whether  in 
root  or  in  powder. 
