270 
Co  rresp  ondence. 
(Am  Jour.  Pliarm. 
\       June,  1913. 
states,  the  presence  of  nitrites  in  a  water  becomes  dangerous. 
(Chemist  and  Druggist,  Mar.  1,  19 13.) 
The  Purity  of  Commercial  Sodium  Salicylate. — The  results 
of  a  chemical  investigation  of  synthetic  and  natural  sodium  salicy- 
late seem  to  warrant  the  conclusion  that  'the  cheapest  commercial 
synthetic  sodium  salicylate  is  the  equal  of  the  higher-priced  brands 
of  the  synthetic  kind  or  the  costly  "  natural  "  product.  According 
to  a  pharmacologic  study  by  Waddell  there  is  no  difference  in  the 
physiologic  action  of  the  synthetic  and  "  natural  "  sodium  salicy- 
lates.   (Jour.  A.  M.  A.,  April  19,  1913.) 
CORRESPONDENCE. 
American  Journal  of  Pharmacy, 
Philadelphia,  Pa. 
Dear  Sirs: 
I  am  pleased  to  inform  you  that  the  case  of  Commonwealth  of 
Pennsylvania  vs.  B.  T.  T.  Tobin,  which  was  practically  vs.  Sharp 
&  Dohme,  as  Mr.  Tobin  was  our  Philadelphia  Agent  and  the  Penn- 
sylvania State  Pharmaceutical'  Examining  Board,  which  enforces 
the  Pure  Food  and  Drug  Act  of  1909  of  Pennsylvania,  could  only 
proceed  against  a  local  person  and  not  against  a  Maryland  or  other 
foreign  corporation,  has  on  May  1st  been  decided  in  favor  of  Sharp 
&  Dohme  and  against  the  said  Pharmaceutical  Examining  Board. 
The  case  has  been  pending  since  August,  1910,  due  mainly  to  delays 
of  one  kind  or  another  on  the  part  of  the  Board  as  we  were  quite 
desirous  of  having  the  case  tested  and  settled,  since  it  involved  the 
broad  and  important  question  of  reading  regulations  adopted  by  an 
executive  board  into  a  law  passed  by  a  legislative  body. 
The  case  was  one  involving  a  bottle  of  Essence  of  Pepsin  1 :  2000 
manufactured  by  Sharp  &  Dohme,  which  Sharp  &  Dohme  have 
been  supplying  for  the  medical  profession  to  the  drug  trade  since 
1888  and  always  of  the  same  consistence,  formula  and  digestive 
power.  According  to  the  Federal  Pure  Food  and  Drug  Act  and  the 
Pennsylvania  Pure  Food  and  Drugs  Act  of  1909,  this  essence  of 
Pepsin  was  correctly  labelled  and  could  legally  be  sold  in  Penn- 
sylvania or  any  other  state,  and  for  the  following  reasons,  to  wit: 
1.  It  was  an  estabished  product  for  which  a  fixed  demand  has  ex- 
isted for  twenty-three  years  and  it  has  always  given  satisfaction. 
2.  It  was  correctly  labelled,  inasmuch  as  although  it  was  not  of  the 
