Am.  Jour.  Pharm.) 
February,  1920.) 
Editorial. 
75 
down  a  standard  for  compound  spirit  of  myrcia  and  all  compound 
spirit  of  myrcia  sold  as  a  "drug"  must  comply  with  that  standard. 
The  law  does  not  recognize  as  the  standards  of  strength,  quality  and 
purity  the  U.  S.  P.  or  N.  F.  products  plus  the  addition  of  bichloride 
of  mercury,  formaldehyde,  tartar  emetic  or  other  poisonous  or  dele- 
terious substances,  and  the  additions  to  alcohol  and  bay  rum  directed 
in  the  regulations  unquestionably  are  adulterations  as  they  cause 
deviations  in  strength,  quality  and  purity  from  the  legal  standards. 
The  Bureau  of  Internal  Revenue  is  thus  advising  and  insisting  that 
there  must  be  a  very  general  violation  of  the  spirit  and  purpose 
of  the  Food  and  Drugs  Act.  It  would  appear  to  an  observing  mind 
that  this  was  establishing  a  rather  dangerous  precedent,  especially 
considering  the  deleterious  nature  of  the  additions  named. 
The  law  limits  the  ^dispensing  of  spirits  and  wines  to  the  licensed 
pharmacist  and  on  prescription  only.  This  indicates  that  Congress 
considered  this  as  part  of  the  professional  duty  of  pharmacists  and 
not  as  acts  of  dealers  in  intoxicating  beverages.  Nevertheless, 
the  regulations  again  require  that  pharmacists  filling  prescriptions 
for  intoxicating  liquors  must  pay  the  special  tax  as  liquor  dealers 
and  keep  the  special  retail  liquor  dealer  tax  stamp  conspicuously 
posted.  A  new  feature  of  the  regulations  is  that  pharmacists  shall 
keep  a  record  on  a  specified  form  of  all  intoxicating  liquor  received 
and  disposed  and  make  monthly  reports  of  all  such  transactions. 
The  pharmacists  will  probably  have  considerable  trouble  in 
getting  the  physicians  to  understand  the  provisions  relating  to  the 
method  of  writing  the  prescriptions  and  keeping  the  records  required 
and  the  limitations  to  the  quantity  and  uses  of  such  distilled  spirits. 
The  physician  is  prohibited  from  prescribing  liquor  for  his  personal 
use  and  the  pharmacist  must  refuse  to  fill  such  prescription  if  pre- 
sented. Physicians  must  file  application  and  obtain  permit  to  pre- 
scribe. The  prescription  must  be  written  on  the  official  form  supplied 
in  book  form  by  the  Commissioner  and  contain  all  the  data  required 
and  he  must  keep  a  copy  thereof  on  the  stub  and  the  records  in  book 
form  in  the  official  record  book  supplied.  He  is  limited  to  pre- 
scribing for  persons  upon  whom  he  is  in  attendance  and  after  care- 
ful physical  examination  of  such  person.  Not  more  than  one  pint 
of  spiritous  liquor  may  be  prescribed  for  the  same  person  within  any 
period  of  ten  days.  The  liquor  so  procured  may  only  be  used  for 
medicinal  purposes  by  the  person  for  whom  prescribed.    The  pre^ 
