Editorials. 
I  Am.  Jour.  Pliarm. 
t        June,  1890. 
EDITORIALS. 
The  State  Pharmaceutical  Examining  Board,  of  Pennsylvania,  held  exam-  . 
inations  in  Philadelphia  on  January  7,  and  at  Harrisburg  on  April  29.  The 
results  were  as  follows  : 
Candidates,  registered  pharmacist,  January,  52  ;  passed,  15. 
Candidates,  registered  pharmacist,  April,  94  ;  passed,  39. 
Candidates,  qualified  assistant,  January,  54  ;  passed,  28. 
Candidates,  qualified  assistant,  April,  47  ;  passed,  28. 
A  National  Adulteration  Bill  is  pending  before  Congress.  Its  object  is 
claimed  to  be  the  prevention  of  adulteration  and  of  the  misbranding  of  food 
and  drugs.  It  provides  for  the  organization  of  a  food  division  in  the  depart- 
ment of  agriculture,  with  a  chief  (salary,  $3,000)  who  is  to  procure  and  analyze, 
with  the  assistance  of  chemists,  inspectors,  clerks,  laborers  and  other  employes, 
samples  of  food  and  drugs  sold  in  states  other  than  where  manufactured,  and 
to  publish  the  results  monthly,  giving  also  in  the  case  of  adulterations,  the 
name  of  the  manufacturer,  brand,  etc.  The  importation  of  adulterated  foods 
and  drugs  from  any  state  or  territory  or  from  a  foreign  country  is  prohibited, 
and  the  shipment  (knowingly),  delivery,  receiving  or  sale  of  such  goods  is 
made  a  misdemeanor,  the  fine  being  for  the  first  offence  not  exceeding  $200, 
and  for  subsequent  offences  not  over  $300,  or  imprisonment  not  exceeding  one 
year,  or  both.  The  U.  S.  District  Attorneys  are  to  prosecute  all  violations  of 
the  act.  Penalties  similar  to  the  foregoing  are  also  to  be  inflicted  upon  those 
who  ship,  deliver,  receive  or  sell  for  exportation  to  another  state  or  foreign 
country  any  compound  article  of  food  or  compounded  drug  not  accompanied 
by  the  label  or  brand  to  be  authorized  by  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture,  the 
designation  to  be  distinctive  or  descriptive,  though  not  necessarily  containing 
the  word  "mixture  "  or  "  compound."  The  counterfeiter  of  a  label  or  brand 
can  be  fined  onty  $100  without  imprisonment  and  is,  therefore,  less  of  a  crimi- 
nal than  the  manufacturer  who  fails  to  procure  the  prescribed  license.  The 
license  is  issued  for  $10  by  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture  to  such  manufacturer, 
manipulator,  compounder  or  mixer  of  compound  food  or  compounded  drugs 
intended  for  shipment,  etc.,  who  certifies  that  the  article  is  not  deleterious 
or  injurious  to  health,  and  who  agrees  to  label  or  brand  the  article  as  approved 
b}'  the  Secretary.  The  license  together  with  the  label  or  brand  is  to  be  lawful 
evidence  to  transportation  companies  of  compliance  with  this  law.  The  Secre- 
tary ma3^  require  the  ingredients  of  any  of  these  compounds  to  be  published  on 
the  label,  but  no  formula  of  a  proprietary  article  is  to  be  made  public,  if  the 
article  is  not  injurious  to  health,  and  is  properly  licensed  and  labelled.  All 
moneys  received  are  to  be  expended  for  carrying  out  the  provisions  of  the 
act. 
The  term  "drug"  is  to  include  all  medicines  for  internal  or  external  use, 
and  these  are  to  be  deemed  adulterated,  if,  where  sold  by  a  name  recognized  in 
the  IT.  S.  Pharmacopoeia,  some  other  Pharmacopoeia  or  standard  work  on 
materia  medica,  the  article  differs  from  the  standard  of  strength,  quality  or 
purity  according  to  the  tests  laid  down  in  such  work  ;  or  if  the  strength  or 
purity  fall  below  the  professed  standard  under  which  the  article  is  sold. 
The  term  food  is  to  include  every  article  of  food  or  drink  used  by  man  other 
