THE  AMERICAN 
JOURNAITOF  PHARMACY 
V     ^^f^XFKBm'ARY,  1920 
EDITORIAL. 
THE  PROHIBITION  ENACTMENT  AND  THE  TREASURY 
REGULATIONS  FOR  ITS  ENFORCEMENT. 
The  pamphlet  ''Regulations  60"  of  the  Bureau  of  Internal  Rev- 
enue, has  been  issued  to  cover  the  manufacture,  sale,  barter,  trans- 
portation, importation,  delivery,  furnishing,  purchase,  possession, 
and  use  of  intoxicating  liquor  under  Title  II  of  the  National  Prohi- 
bition Act  of  October  28,  191 9,  commonly  spoken  of  as  the  Volstead 
Act.  The  purpose  of  this  Title  of  the  law  is  to  provide  for  the  en- 
forcement of  the  Eighteenth  Amendment  of  the  Constitution  of  the 
United  States,  and  the  regulations  now  promulgated  by  the  Fed- 
eral Prohibition  Commissioner  are  issued  by  virtue  of  the  authority 
conferred  upon  the  Commissioner  of  Internal  Revenue  by  that  Act. 
Those  engaged  in  the  drug  business,  either  as  pharmaceutical 
manufacturers,  as  wholesale  or  retail  druggists,  or  as  dispensing 
pharmacists,  must  again  apply  themselves  to  the  studying  of  another 
series  of  regulations.  In  the  recent  years,  it  would  seem  that  the 
series  of  Departmental  regulations  and  of  supplements,  amendments 
and  rulings  have  followed  so  closely  that  a  large  portion  of  their  time 
has  been  consumed  in  becoming  acquainted  with  the  requirements 
so  as  to  comply  therewith  and  avoid  unintentional  violation. 
Physician  and  pharmacist  alike  will  be  compelled  to  unlearn 
some  of  the  procedures  which  but  recently  they  were  compelled  to 
follow  in  compliance  with  prior  regulations,  as  the  present  issue  of 
decrees  materially  changes  a  number  of  the  former  promulgations. 
This  will  become  a  matter  for  further  confusion  and  considerable 
annoyance.  We  are  brought  to  realize  that  the  laws  of  our  country 
are  not  like  those  of  the  Medes  and  Persians,  and  we  must  regret 
that  there  is  not  likewise  more  stability  shown  in  Department  a 
regulations. 
