Am.  Jour.  Pharm.) 
February,  1920.) 
Editorial. 
71 
required  that  scarcely  sufficient  space  remains  for  the  prescription 
proper  and  the  directions  and  the  physician  will  be  compelled  to 
write  in  a  small  handwriting  or  to  abbreviate  in  order  to  get  this 
necessary  matter  within  the  space  allotted  therefor.  The  book  of 
records  required  of  the  physician  must  show  the  date  of  issue  of  each 
prescription,  amount  prescribed,  for  whom  and  the  purpose  or  ail- 
ment for  which  it  is  to  be  used  and  the  directions  stating  the  fre- 
quency and  the  dose.  The  official  record  book  that  is  being  supplied 
to  physicians  for  such  records  has  on  the  initial  page  the  printed 
rules  and  regulations  and  a  sample  of  the  record  that  is  expected. 
This  type  prescription  directs  as  a  dose  for  the  8  ounces  of  whiskey 
directed,  "a  wineglassful."  It  is  not  presumed  that  this  was  in- 
tended by  the  prohibition  officer  as  advisory  for  an  average  medicinal 
dose  and  yet  the  matter  is  too  serious  to  suspect  a  pun  on  the  needs 
of  sick  mortals. 
The  drug  trade  and  other  manufacturers  whose  business  compels 
the  use  of  pure  alcohol  or  other  distilled  or  vinous  spirits  were  given 
assurance  that  the  regulations  that  would  be  framed  under  this  act 
would  be  reasonable  and  bear  in  mind  the  needs  of  medicine  and 
that  no  unnecessary  restraint  or  hindrance  would  be  placed  in  the 
way  of  these  industries  or  professional  practices.  The  regulations 
as  promulgated  are  disappointing  in  many  respects  and  would  appear 
as  if  a  studied  attempt  had  been  made  to  drop  wherever  possible  a 
monkey-wrench  into  the  machinery  of  the  medical  practice  and  the 
industries  associated  with  the  drug  trade. 
The  manufacture  of  medicines  must  be  considered  as  preeminently 
a  "lawful  industry"  and  the  title  of  this  Act  states  that  one  of  the 
purposes  that  Congress  had  in  mind  was  "to  insure  an  ample  supply 
of  alcohol"  and  "to  promote  its  use  in  scientific  research  and  in  the 
development  of  lawful  industries."  It  would  seem  that  the  officials 
in  the  framing  of  the  regulations  had  in  mind  the  surrounding  of  the 
procuring  of  alcohol  for  such  essential  industries  with  as  much  red 
tape  as  possible  and  to  impede  rather  than  facilitate  their  manufac- 
ture and  to  promote  industrial  development.  As  the  Department 
has  absolute  control  of  the  granting  of  permits  to  buy  and  use  such 
liquors  and  each  purchase  can  only  be  made  subject  to  the  approval 
of  the  application  to  withdraw,  and  the  permit  may  be  revoked  and 
severe  penalties  imposed  for  misapplying  the  alcohol  so  withdrawn 
it  would  seem  that  the  officers  of  this  bureau  have  ample  means  of 
