Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  ) 
January,  1920.  | 
/ 
Editorial. 
5 
Commendable  features  of  this  public  document  are  the  classifi- 
cation of  the  subjects  as  set  forth  in  the  various  headlines  of  the 
chapters  and  paragraphs  and  recapitulated  in  the  "Table  of  Contents," 
the  excellent  index  covering  ten  pages  of  titles  and  giving  the  num- 
bers of  the  articles  containing  information  relating  to  each  item  and 
the  very  general  use  of  cross  references  in  the  articles  themselves  so 
that  related  information  desired  is  readily  and  promptly  obtainable. 
These  regulations  are  of  the  greatest  importance  to  every  one 
whose  profession  or  trade  activities  necessitates  the  possession  and 
handling  of  opium  or  coca  leaves  or  any  derivative  or  preparation 
made  from  or  containing  either.  They  are  quite  explicit  and  settle 
several  mooted  questions  that  had  arisen  under  prior  promulga- 
tions of  regulations  and  contain  some  modifications  of  former 
rulings  and  a  number  of  new  features,  the  literal  compliance  with 
which  may  cause  considerable  annoyance  and  trouble. 
The  various  articles  of  the  regulations  are  titled  and  numbered 
and  printed  in  juxtaposition  with  the  provisions  of  the  law  to  which 
they  are  intended  to  apply.  We  fear  that  some  of  these  will 
be  considered  as  entirely  too  stringent  and  as  exemplifying  the 
tendency  of  the  Departments  of  the  Federal  Government  to  frame 
regulations  that  are  bureaucratic  exhibitions  of  authority  rather 
than  interpretations  of  the  enactments  of  Congress  for  the  enforce- 
ment of  which  regulations  are  authorized.  It  would  seem  at  times 
that  the  police  power  was  exercised  by  the  officials  in  charge  in 
ways  that  are  unnecessarily  burdensome  and  annoying  to  the  many 
who  are  law-abiding  and  at  no  time  would  intentionally  infract  the 
laws,  and  that  time,  energy  and  official  duty  could  be  better 
applied  in  ferreting  out  and  punishing  the  relatively  few  who  are 
wilfully  and  criminally  breaking  the  laws. 
The  purpose  to  have  Federal  and  State  enactments  so  dovetail 
as  to  prevent  those  who  are  not  properly  qualified  from  engaging 
in  dealing  in  narcotic  drugs  is  a  fundamental  principle  to  be  ob- 
served. Very  rightly  an  initial  requirement  is  that  only  those  whose 
dealings  in  narcotic  drugs  are  not  in  violation  of  any  law,  either 
State  or  Federal,  can  be  licensed  under  this  law  and  that  the 
application  for  registration  must  be  accompanied  by  affidavit 
showing  that  the  applicant  is  legally  qualified  or  permitted,  under 
the  laws  of  the  jurisdiction  in  which  he  is  engaged,  or  proposes  to 
engage,  in  any  business  or  occupation  within  the  scope  of  these 
regulations,  to  engage  in  such  business  or  occupation. 
