144  Editorial  Notes  and  Comments.  {AmMX".?mm' 
"  We  see  no  necessity  for  such  a  reduction,  as  suitable  grades  are 
always  in  ample  supply  in  the  primary  markets,  and  there  is  no  dif- 
ficulty in  procuring  sufficient  quantities  for  use  in  medicine. 
"As  to  the  commercial  aspect  of  the  question,  we  beg  to  report 
as  follows : 
"The  demand  in  this  market  from  buyers  of  large  quantities  is 
mostly  for  a  low-priced  gum,  such  as  does  not  meet  the  require- 
ments of  the  U.S. P.  Asafetida  of  this  description  is  almost  exclu- 
sively used  for  powdering,  and,  as  it  contains  a  large  amount  of  mica 
and  other  inert  material,  is  better  adapted  for  this  purpose  than 
resinous  gum  of  good  quality. 
"Jobbing  druggists,  who  in  turn  supply  the  retail  trade  with  the 
whole  gum,  usually  buy  good  grades. 
"  There  is  no  difficulty  in  obtaining  asafetida  containing  60  per 
cent,  resin  and  over  in  the  primary  markets. 
"  No  restrictions  were  formerly  placed  by  the  customs  authorities 
on  the  quality  that  should  be  admitted  to  this  country.  Importers 
dealt  in  various  grades  suitable  for  various  wants. 
"  The  trouble  began  when  the  appraiser  of  the  port  of  New  York 
excluded  asafetida  not  meeting  pharmacopceial  requirements,  which 
he  can  do  under  the  law  of  August  30,  1 890,  prohibiting  the  im- 
portation of  adulterated  merchandise.  Importers  had  been  accus- 
tomed to  half-hearted  attempts  on  the  part  of  the  appraiser  to 
carry  out  this  law,  but  they  had  learned  by  experience  that  such 
attempts,  sometimes  fully  justified,  sometimes  not  warranted,  are 
soon  given  up  and  old  customs  prevail.  When  restrictions  were 
first  placed  on  asafetida,  they  were  only  enforced  for  a  short  time ; 
later  on  importations  of  inferior  grades  were  again  allowed  to  come 
in.  This  state  of  affairs  was  embarrassing  to  some  importers,  who 
were  quite  willing  to  comply  with  the  requirements  established  by 
the  appraiser,  and  when,  because  of  protests,  the  appraiser's  office 
became  more  watchful,  it  still  happened  that  examination  of  the 
quality  of  new  arrivals  was  not  carefully  carried  out,  and  some  im- 
porters managed  to  bring  in  asafetida  which  was  below  standard, 
while  others  were  compelled  to  return  their  shipments.  At  this 
stage  some  importers  directed  their  shipments  to  ports  other  than 
New  York,  where  the  supervision  was  less  strict,  and  this  way 
obtained  supplies  of  low-priced  asafetida,  for  which  there  is  always 
a  good  sale,  as  explained  above.    This  caused  those  New  York  im- 
