92 
Editorial. 
("Am.  Jour.  Phaem. 
1    Feb.  1, 1874. 
The  Stamp  Tax. — The  Committee  of  the  Philadelphia  Drug  Exchange,  con. 
sisting  of  Messrs.  Edward  H.  Hance  and  Alexander  H.  Jones,  who  had  a  hear- 
ing before  the  Committee  of  Ways  and  Means,  as  we  informed  our  readers  on 
page  43  of  our  last  number,  have  reported  on  their  visit  and  published  the  peti- 
tion handed  to  Congress  asking  for  the  repeal  of  the  stamp  tax  on  medicinal 
preparations,  and  accompanied  by  a  copy  of  the  December  number  of  the 
"American  Journal  of  Pharmacy,"  as  embodying  upon  pages  564 — 574  the 
views  of  all  the  pharmaceutical  colleges  and  associations  heard  from  until  that 
time.    The  Committee  state  in  their  report : 
It  is  to  be  remembered  that,  just  at  this  time,  suggestions  were  made  look- 
ing toward  increased  taxation.  The  views  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury 
and  the  Commissioner  of  Internal  Revenue  indicated  a  necessity  for  more  rev- 
enue, and  measures  to  increase  the  tax  on  whiskey  and  tobacco,  to  restore 
Schedule  B,  and  to  re-impose  the  duty  upon  tea  and  coffee,  were  discussed  in 
official  circles. 
The  instructions  to  ask  for  a  total  repeal,  however,  were  strictly  carried  out, 
and  the  petitions  asking  for  such  repeal  presented  ;  but  it  was  thought  proper 
to  state  to  the  two  Committees  of  Congress  that  if  all  could  not  be  had,  a  part 
might  satisfy  the  trade. 
The  Committee  also  refer  to  a  letter,  dated  January  6th,  from  a  member  of 
Congress,  stating : 
Commissioner  Douglass  has  not  yet  had  an  interview  with  the  Committee. 
The  only  expression  I  have  heard  has  been  one  of  respect  for  the  weight  of 
the  petitioners,  representing  as  they  do  all  the  States  and  Territories,  and  of 
the  suggestions  made  by  yourself  and  Mr.  Hance.  My  judgment  is  that  there 
is  a  general  desire  in  the  Committee  to  obviate  the  difficulty,  if  it  can  be  done 
without  opening  a  wide  door  to  fraud,  as  I  personally  believe  it  can. 
Also  another  letter,  dated  Washington,  Jan.  10th,  1874,  stating: 
I  am  happy  in  being  able  to  say  that  I  believe  the  Committee  of  Ways  and 
Means  will  embody  a  revision  of  that  part  of  the  Stamp  Law,  the  modification 
of  which  is  desired  by  the  druggists,  in  their  first  Revenue  Bill. 
The  following  is  an  extract  from  a  letter  of  Hon.  W.  R.  Morrison,  of  Illi- 
nois, who  writes  to  the  St.  Clair  Pharmaceutical  Association : 
Petitions  of  a  like  character  have  been  numerously  presented  during  the 
present  session  of  Congress.  A  delegation  from  Philadelphia,  and  perhaps 
from  other  cities,  have  been  here  and  have  had  a  hearing  before  the  Commit- 
tee, and  the  Commissioner  of  Internal  Revenue  is  to  be  heard  during  the  pre- 
sent week.  It  seems  to  be  more  the  construction  of  the  law  (by  the  Commis- 
sioner) than  the  law  itself  which  creates  the  hardships  complained  of.  There 
seem  to  be  very  many  interested  beside  yourselves,  hence  I  think  relief  prob- 
able. 
I  shall  be  glad  to  further  your  interests  to  the  best  of  my  ability. 
Pancreatin. — The  "Boston  Medical  and  Surgical  Journal "  for  December 
11,  1873,  contains  a  paper  by  Dr.  Horace  Dobell,  entitled  "  Pancreatin  and  its 
Usefulness,"  which  is  in  answer  to  one  by  Dr.  E.  H.  Hoskin,  published  in  the 
same  journal  in  June  last,  and  entitled  u  Pancreatin  and  its  Uselessness."  It 
