98 
ON  THE  IMPOKTATION  OF  MINERAL  WATERS. 
American  Pharmaceutical  Association,  we  find  that  the  impor- 
tation of  mineral  waters  has  largely  increased  within  the  last 
two  years.  The  reports  of  the  drug  importations  at  the  port  of 
New  York,  published  in  the  Proceedings  of  the  American  Phar- 
maceutical Association  for  1856  and  1857,  contain  no  mineral 
water.  During  the  year  ending  August  20th,  1858,  37  cases 
and  313  baskets  passed  through  the  New  York  Custom  House; 
of  this  amount  24  baskets  had  been  entered  as  Vichy,  and  260 
baskets  as  Seltzer  water.  In  1859,  the  publication  of  the  im- 
ports had  been  omitted  from  July  to  October  ;  for  the  remain- 
ing 8  months,  ending  with  December  20th,  the  quantity  of  im- 
ported mineral  water  reached  330  casks,  684  baskets  and  19 
cases. 
For  the  year  1860,  we  have  full  reports  of  all  imported  arti- 
ticles  of  the  drug  line,  together  with  their  cost  price.  Much 
valuable  information  may  be  derived  from  comparing  these  lists, 
which,  if  carefully  compiled  every  year,  would  show  our  wants 
as  satisfied  from  abroad,  and  would  constitute  interesting  statis- 
tics of  the  foreign  drug  trade  of  New  York,  the  most  important 
port  for  this  branch  of  commerce  in  the  United  JStates.  One 
addition  to  these  drug  lists,  it  appears  to  me,  would  materially 
enhance  their  value  as  a  source  for  statistical  information,  and 
would  show  us  on  what  distant  countries  we  still  rely  for  the 
supply  of  our  medicinal  and  similar  technical  articles.  I  refer 
to  statements  of  the  places  from  whence  imported.  Generally 
we  are  able  to  find  out  the  countries  from  the  value  of  the  drugs 
being  stated  in  the  currency  of  the  places  of  their  exportation, 
but  some  uncertainty  must  remain  ;  as,  for  instance,  the  currency 
of  France,  Belgium  and  Switzerland  is  francs,  that  of  Holland, 
Southern  Germany  and  the  Austrian  empire  is  guilders,  &c. 
This  uncertainty  could,  of  course,  not  be  overcome  in  the  follow- 
ing table,  which  comprises  the  whole  of  the  mineral  water  im- 
portation at  the  port  of  New  York  for  the  year  ending  Decem- 
ber 20th,  1860, 
During  those  twelve  months,  it  consisted  of  999  casks,  39 
hampers,  279  cases,  3635  baskets  and  2887  other  packages,  of 
the  aggregate  cost  of  $24,618-83,  by  far  the  largest  amount  of 
which  was  paid  to  Germany,  that  imported  from  England  even 
being  probably  all  from  German  springs. 
