A^'ctoberj899!m'}    American  Pharmaceutical  Association.  503 
If  adopted  it  would  establish  a  voluntary  censorship  over  the  introduction  and 
marketing  of  new  remedies,  and  protect  the  reputation  of  those  who  manu- 
facture the  older  products  and  preparations,  as  well  as  the  new,  but  it  does  not 
provide  for  a  final  publication  of  working  formulas  for  the  benefit  of  pharma- 
ceutic science." 
In  regard  to  the  introduction  of  patented  synthetics  into  the  Pharmacopoeia, 
the  Chairman  said  : 
"Standing  right  in  the  way  of  the  Pharmacopoeia  has  been  the  question  of 
the  private  ownership  of  names,  for  the  admission  of  private  names  into 
that  work  was  not  to  be  thought  of.  But  that  question  seems  to  have  been 
settled  by  the  Supreme  Court  in  the  Singer  sewing  machine  case. 
"Freed  from  that  trade-mark  monopoly  scheme,  shall  patented  synthetics 
be  made  official  in  the  U.S. P.?  The  objection  has  been  urged  that,  being 
introduced  by  advertising  their  therapeutic  value  is  problematical,  but  that 
objection  no  longer  maintains  regarding  some  of  them  which  have  been 
introduced  for  sufficient  time  to  give  them  a  permanent  place  in  the  materia 
medica.  Another  obj  ection  is  the  commercial  prestige  which  will  accrue  to  their 
manufacturers.  This  might  be  answered  by  saying  that  such  prestige  should 
be  part  of  the  reward  given  the  inventor  for  divulging  his  invention  by  patent- 
ing it. 
"If  we  are  to  indorse  the  application  of  the  patent  law  to  pharmacy  so  far 
as  to  sanction  a  limited  monopoly  of  products  resulting  from  the  chemic  art  in 
exchange  for  a  publication  of  exact  knowledge  of  each  new  addition,  why 
withhold  credit  and  commercial  prestige  from  the  patentee?  Professional  men 
in  medicine  and  pharmacy  have  advocated  for  years  that  we  should  use  every 
effort  to  have  laws  placed  on  our  statute  books  and  enforced  against  medical 
monopolies  of  all  kinds.  We  have  made  certain  exceptions  by  passing  the 
preamble  and  resolution  favoring  patents  on  processes.  Shall  we  go  a  step 
further  and  admit  patents  on  products  ?  If  so,  where  do  we  then  stand  ?  We 
stand  against  monopolies  created  by  secrecy  as  to  processes  or  products,  but 
admit  that  until  a  period  of  civilization  and  enlightenment  is  reached  per- 
mitting the  enactment  of  laws  and  their  enforcement  limiting  the  manufacture 
and  sale  of  medicines  to  those  who  are  educated  and  trained  as  pharmacists, 
and  forcing  them  to  conduct  their  business  on  humanitarian  grounds,  the  pro- 
tection of  the  patent  law  to  medical  chemical  industries  is  ethical  and  right." 
After  much  discussion  of  this  address,  the  following  resolution  was  offered 
by  W.  S.  Thompson  : 
"  Resolved,  That  the  United  States  Government  be  requested  not  to  register 
as  a  trade-mark  any  word  to  be  used  as  the  generic  or  specific  name  of  the 
article  itself,  and  that  symbols  or  figures  only  be  registered  as  trade-marks." 
Mr.  Thompson  further  moved  "that  we  recommend  that  the  law  governing 
the  patenting  of  processes  be  amended  to  further  protect  the  patentee."  Both 
resolutions  were  carried  and  were  referred  to  the  Chairman,  F.  K.  Stewart,  to  be 
transmitted  to  such  of  the  national  authorities  as  he  may  think  most  desirable. 
R.  G.  Kccles  moved  that  the  Association  approves  of  the  granting  of  patents 
on  products.  The  motion  was  discussed  by  several  of  the  members.  C.  S.  N. 
Hallberg  offered  a  substitute,  which  also  was  discussed  by  a  number  favoring 
it,  and  finally  by  Professor  Remington,  who  opposed  it.  Dr.  Bartley  then 
moved  that  the  whole  subject  be  laid  upon  the  table,  which  was  agreed  to. 
