Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
April,  19 1 9. 
Editorial. 
201 
means  of  preventing  adulteration  of  drugs,  must  be  continuously 
violated  by  acts  contrary  to  the  judgment  of  the  physician  and  to  the 
detriment  of  his  patient,  and  the  evident  intent  of  Congress  in  these 
enactments  nullified. 
The  Department  has  not  been  entirely  consistent  in  this  decision. 
While  denying  to  the  patient  suffering  with  fever  the  right  to  be 
rubbed  down  with  pure  non-beverage  alcohol  of  the  pharmacopceial 
standard,  even  though  such  medication  is  directed  by  the  attending 
physician,  the  regulations  nevertheless  permit  that  "  nonbeverage 
distilled  spirits  may  be  used  for  rubbing  purposes  in  Turkish  bath 
establishments,"  providing  no  charge  is  made  for  alcohol  used  in 
rubbing  the  customer.  The  proprietor  of  such  an  establishment 
easily  complies  with  the  regulations  by  making  his  service  charge 
sufficient  to  include  the  value  of  the  alcohol.  Which  of  these  is  the 
use,  deserving  first  consideration  as  coming  within  the  designation 
"medicinal "?  W7hich  is  the  most  necessary?  and  the  most  humani- 
tarian? 
The  regulations  provide  that  "  spirits  of  a  potable  proof  which 
were  entered  into  warehouses  and  marked  and  branded  as  whisky, 
rum,  gin,  brandy,  etc.,  will  be  presumed  to  be  for  use  for  beverage 
purposes  when  withdrawn  or  sold.  Here  again  the  "  presumed " 
position  will  preclude  the  use  of  these  as  "  medicinal "  agents  and 
annul  the  apparent  intent  of  the  law,  although  many  of  our  most 
able  physicians  continue  to  consider  these  distilled  spirits  valuable  as 
medicines. 
From  time  immemorial,  wines  have  been  used  as  remedial  agents 
as  well  as  for  solvents  and  preservatives  of  other  medicinal  sub- 
stances. The  regulations  assert  that  "  It  is  not  believed  that  there  is 
any  legitimate  use  for  wines  for  medicinal  purposes,  and  since  it  is 
impracticable  to  determine  the  exact  purpose  of  use  when  taken  in- 
ternally, except  when  used  for  sacramental  purposes,  no  wines,  as 
such,  may  be  sold  for  internal  use  on  a  physician's  prescription  or 
otherwise  as  medicines."  The  "  belief  "  of  some  official  temporarily 
in  a  position  of  authority  to  render  a  decision  is  set  up  in  opposition 
to  the  belief  of  thousands  of  capable  physicians  that  wines  are  at 
times  very  necessary  as  medicines.  It  is  not  an  uncommon  experi- 
ence that  the  administration  of  small  portions  of  champagne  wine, 
when  the  stomach  will  retain  nothing  else,  has  tided  over  the  crisis 
and  saved  the  patient's  life.    But  under  the  existing  conditions,  ex- 
