124  Wholesale  Druggists'  Association.      {^^f?""  im"""" 
increases  the  value  of  the  guarantee,  and  shows  that  the  courts  will 
accept  a  chain  of  guarantees  as  fixing  the  blame  on  the  original 
guarantor,  and  that  he  will  be  held  responsible  for  fraud  even  though 
technicalities  may  be  brought  to  bear  on  the  case.  The  case  in  ques- 
tion  is  one  in  which  a  manufacturer  sold  to  a  wholesaler  in  the 
same  state  and  the  wholesaler  in  turn  sold  to  a  retailer  in  a  nearby 
state.  The  manufacturer  attempted  to  evade  responsibility  on  the 
ground  that  his  sale  was  only  one  within  the  state,  rather  than  an 
interstate  sale,  but  the  courts  decided  otherwise.  The  report  calls 
attention  to  the  National  Insecticide  Act,  which  was  intended  to  go 
into  effect  on  January  ist,  191 1,  and  with  which  you  are  probably 
familiar;  if  not,  you  had  better  send  for  a  copy  of  the  Act,  as  its 
provisions  are  more  inclusive  than  you  would  at  first  think.  The 
definition  is  exceedingly  broad,  and  covers  insect  powders,  powdered 
white  hellebore,  and  every  drug  or  preparation,  proprietary  or  other- 
wise, which  is  intended  to  exterminate  insects  of  all  kinds.  It  also 
includes  fungicides.  A  committee  was  appointed  by  the  three 
secretaries  to  formulate  regulations  for  the  enforcement  of  the  Act, 
which  committee  has  not  yet  reported  the  nature  of  these  regulations, 
therefore,  all  dealers  have  been  obliged  to  hold  up  the  printing  of 
their  labels  until  such  regulations  are  promulgated,  because  other- 
wise it  might  be  necessary  for  them  to  make  two  changes  in  order 
to  comply  with  the  law.  Dr.  Schieffelin  commented  on  the  Owens' 
Bill,  which  provides  for  the  establishing  of  a  National  Department 
or  Bureau  of  Health.  He  stated  that  his  committee  opposed  that 
portion  of  the  bill  which  gives  the  proposed  department  power  to 
establish  standards  for  chemicals  and  other  drugs,  because  they 
took  the  position  that  this  was  unnecessary,  as  the  present  arrange- 
ment, which  makes  the  United  States  Pharmacopoeia  and  National 
Formulary  the  official  standard,  is  sufficient.  There  is  no  question 
that  the  National  Department  or  Bureau  of  Health  could  utilize  the 
vast  resources  of  the  Federal  Government  to  the  great  advantage  of 
the  nation,  by  gathering  and  disseminating  information,  and  materi- 
ally assisting  in  preventing  diseases  and  preserving  the  health  of 
the  people.  He  believes  this  could  be  done  without  encroaching 
upon  the  constitutional  prerogative  of  states  to  exercise  police  power 
within  their  respective  borders.  The  health  of  our  people  is  the 
greatest  asset  of  the  nation,  and  any  feasible  plan  that  will  minimize 
the  loss  of  valuable  human  lives  is  worthy  of  the  most  careful  con- 
sideration. 
