Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  1 
Mar.,  1875.  J 
Editorial. 
137 
had  recently  been  made  for  using  salicylic  acid  as  an  antiseptic  dressing  (j^^'"Amer 
Journ.  Pharm.,"  1875,  P-  6^)5  might  be  set  aside  in  favor  of  this  pulverulent  and 
faintly-fragrant  phenol. 
Several  samples  of  artificial  salicylic  acid  were  exhibited,  as  also  artificial  oil  of 
gaultheria,  prepared  by  Mr.  John  Williams,  who  stated  in  a  "  Note  on  Salicylate 
of  Methyl,"  that  it  is  easily  produced  by  mixing  salicylic  acid,  pure  wood  spirit 
(methyl  alcohol)  and  sulphuric  acid  together  in  a  retort,  and  distilling  in  an  oil  bath, 
the  temperature  required  being  about  208°  C. 
EDITORIAL  DEPARTMENT. 
Covers  for  the  Journal. — The  Publishing  Committee  has  procured  covers  in 
which  the  numbers  of  the  Journal  may  be  fastened  for  preservation,  and  to  prevent 
their  being  lost  or  soiled  during  the  year.  Each  cover  is  large  enough  to  hold  one 
volume,  which,  when  complete,  may  either  be  taken  out  to  have  it  bound  in  any 
desired  style,  or  the  cover  itself  may  be  used  for  the  permanent  binding  of  one 
volume.  Two  styles  have  been  prepared,  one  being  half  cloth,  with  marbled  paper 
sides,  at  50  cents  each  5  the  other  being  full  cloth,  embossed,  and  with  "  American 
Journal  of  Pharmacy  "  in  gilt  letters  on  side,  at  75  cents  each.  The  covers  will  be 
mailed  by  the  Business  Editor  to  any  address,  on  receipt  of  the  money. 
The  Stamp-Tax  on  Medicines. — In  a  footnote  to  an  editorial  in  our  last  issue 
(p.  92),  we  have  informed  our  readers  that  the  so-called  "Little  Tariff'  Bill"  had 
passed  both  Houses  of  Congress.  The  law  is  entitled  "An  Act  to  Amend  the 
Existing  Customs  and  Internal  Revenue  Laws,  and  for  other  Purposes,"  and  received 
the  official  sanction  of  the  President,  February  8th.  The  twenty-second  section 
has  been  adopted  in  the  form  reported  by  us  on  page  351  of  our  last  volume  j  it  has 
been  framed  in  clear  language,  and  will,  it  is  hoped,  do  away  with  the  numerous 
vexations  to  which  pharmacists  have  formerly  been  subjected.  It  is  well  to  call 
attention  to  it  here,  that  medicines  put  up  for  sale,  in  order  to  be  relieved  from  the 
stamp-tax,  must  be  actually  prepared  according  to  certain  formulas,  which  must 
either  ht  printed  in  full  upon  the  label,  or  else  the  label  must  state  <Tjjhere  (in  which 
standard  Dispensatory  or  Pharmacopasia  in  common  use,  or  in  which  pharmaceutical 
journal  of  an  incorporated  college  of  pharmacy)  such  formula  is  to  be  found  ;  more- 
over, no  proprietorship  must  be  claimed  for  the  preparation.  In  accordance  with  this 
we  would  regard  labels  reading  "  A  B's  Solution  of  Citrate  of  Magnesium,"  or 
"Solution  of  Citrate  of  Magnesium  prepared  only  by  A  B  "  as  making  the  article 
liable  to  be  stamped  ;  while  no  stamp  is  required  if  the  label  reads  :  "  Solution  of 
Citrate  of  Magnesium,  U.  S.  Pharmacopoeia,  1870,  p.  2175  prepared  by  A  B,"  and 
is  actually  prepared  by  that  formula. 
For  the  benefit  of  our  new  subscribers  we  reprint  here  the  section  in  full : 
"  Section  22.  That  hereafter  nothing  contained  in  the  Internal  Revenue  Laws  shali 
be  construed  so  as  to  authorize  the  imposition  of  any  stamp-tax  upon  any  medicinal 
