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Minutes  of  the  College, 
i  Am.  Jour.  Pharm.. 
1     Nov.  1,  1873. 
Prof.  Procter  read  the  following  paper  on  the  decease  of  John  H.  Ecky,  a 
member  of  the  College,  which  was  accepted  and  referred  to  the  publishing  com- 
mittee. 
John  H.  Ecky,  formerly  an  active  member  of  this  College,  died  in  Philadel- 
phia on  the  13th  day  of  July,  1873,  aged  61  years.  He  was  the  son  of  Anthony 
Ecky,  one  of  the  founders  of  our  College,  at  that  time  a  wholesale  druggist, 
doing  business  at  the  north-east  corner  of  Third  and  Walnut  streets. 
John  H.  Ecky  served  his  apprenticeship  to  the  drug  and  paint  business  with 
the  late  Jacob  Bigonet,  also  a  member  of  this  College,  in  Lombard  street  below 
Sixth,  with  whom  he  afterwards  entered  into  co-partnership,  under  the  firm  of 
J.  Bigonet  &  Co.,  which  continued  several  years. 
Mr.  Ecky  at  one  time  took  much  interest  in  this  College,  contributed  to  the 
Journal,  and  was  a  frequent  attendant  of  the  pharmaceutical  meetings.  He 
was  warm-hearted  and  generous,  had  had  a  fair  education,  and  was  a  reputable 
apothecary. 
Charles  Kullock  referred  to  the  decease  of  Dr.  Frederick  A.  Keffer,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  College,  formerly  from  Philadelphia,  but  late  a  resident  of  New  Or-' 
leans,  where  he  died  recently  after  a  short  illness. 
Charles  Bullock  called  the  attention  of  the  College  to  the  recent  ruling  of  the 
Commissioner  of  Internal  Revenue  relative  to  the  stamp  tax  on  medicinal  pre- 
parations, contrasting  it  with  former  rulings,  and  pointed  out  its  inconsistency 
herewith. 
On  motion  of  Jas.  T.  Shinn,  a  committee  of  two,  consisting  of  Robert  Shoe- 
maker and  Joseph  P.  Remington,  was  appointed  to  proceed  to  Washington  to 
confer  with  the  Commissioner  of  Internal  Revenue  on  the  subject,  and  to  en- 
deavor to  have  the  late  ruling  reversed,  if  possible. 
Mr.  Bullock  offered  the  following  preamble  and  resolutions  for  the  total  abo- 
lition of  the  stamp  tax  on  medicines,  which,  on  motion  of  A.  B.  Taylor,  were 
adopted,  and  the  Corresponding  Secretary  was  directed  to  send  a  copy  to  each, 
of  the  Colleges  of  Pharmacy  and  Pharmaceutical  Associations  in  the  United1 
States. 
Whereas,  The  stamp  tax  imposed  by  the  internal  revenue  laws  on  medi- 
cines, as  detailed  in  schedule  C  of  the  code,  was,  in  the  opinion  of  this  College, 
intended  to  apply  only  to  preparations  known  as  "proprietary" — the  term 
"  proprietary"  having  long  been  defined  as  "  a  peculiar  or  exclusive  right  ofv 
possession  ;"  and, 
Whereas,  Conflicting  decisions  have  from  time  to  time  been  given  regarding 
the  class  of  medicines  coming  under  the  operation  of  the  stamp  tax,  causing 
great  confusion,  impeding  business,  and  rendering  druggists  and  manufacturers- 
disposed  to  a  conscientious  fulfilment  of  the  provisions  of  the  law,  liable  to  great 
annoyance,  and  often  penalty,  by  reason  of  decisions  of  the  department  at 
variance  with  the  opinions  and  long  continued  practice  under  former  Commis- 
sioners of  the  Internal  Revenue,  and, 
Whereas,  the  necessity  for  the  continuance  of  the  stamp  tax  on  medicines 
appears  questionable  as  a  source  of  pecuniary  revenue  to  the  Government ;, 
therefore 
Resolved,  That  this  College,  in  its  corporate  capacity,  do  petition  Congress,, 
at  its  next  session,  to  abolish  such  part  of  the  internal  revenue  laws  as  relates 
to  a  stamp  tax  on  medicines. 
Resolved,  That  we  invite  the  co-operation  of  the  Colleges  of  Pharmacy  ancl 
Pharmaceutical  Associations  in  the  United  States  to  effect  this  purpose. 
This  being  the  Semi- Annual  Meeting,  an  election  for  eight  Trustees  and  a 
