408  Pharmacy  Lazvs  and  Legislation.  {Xm'J^i^m\m' 
stranger,  who  claimed  that  the  poison  was  desired  for  rats,  but  who 
instead  mixed  the  same  with  the  breakfast  oatmeal,  causing  the 
dangerous  illness  of  those  who  ate  of  the  same.  The  petition  being 
demurred  to,  was  held  by  the  court  to  present  a  good  cause  of 
action. 
In  the  second  case  a  colored  boy  purchased  <(  Rough  on  Rats  " 
which  he  placed  in  a  pot  of  coffee,  killing  his  brother  and  nearly 
causing  the  death  of  his  father.  In  deciding  against  the  demurrer 
to  the  complaint  the  court  held,  That  (under  the  Ohio  law)  the  sale 
of  a  poison  to  a  minor  without  a  prescription  renders  the  seller 
responsible  to  the  innocent  sufferer  from  its  administration. 
Coincident  with  the  extension  of  the  work* of  the  N.A.R.D.  came 
the  news  of  suits  in  different  parts  of  the  country  brought  by  cut- 
ters against  the  local  associations  for  conspiracy  in  attempting  to 
prevent  the  cutters  from  obtaining  supplies.  As  the  conditions 
are  in  a  certain  sense  new,  and  unlike  the  cases  in  restraint  of  trade 
which  have  heretofore  engaged  the  attention  of  the  courts,  the  out- 
come of  the  cases  will  be  watched  with  interest.  The  fortunes  of 
the  several  suits  will  probably  vary  with  the  manner  in  which  the 
issues  have  been  presented  by  the  pleadings,  but  it  is  coming  to  be 
more  and  more  recognized  that  manufacturers  and  others  have  the 
right  to  require  a  contract  from  those  who  handle  such  goods  to 
sell  them  at  the  price  agreed  upon,  and  to  enforce  such  contracts 
when  made. 
ILLINOIS. 
The  Bill  amending  the  Pharmacy  Law  has  become  a  law,  and 
will  be  printed  in  a  later  number  of  this  Journal. 
Two  other  bills  now  pending  require  the  formulas  of  proprietary 
medicines  to  be  printed  upon  the  label,  and  still  another  would 
require  such  preparations  to  have  attached  a  copy  of  a  certificate  of 
the  Board  of  Health,  stating  that  the  preparation  has  been  examined 
by  the  Board,  that  it  is  harmless,  and  an  appropriate  remedy  for 
the  disease  for  which  it  is  recommended. 
The  so-called  "  Soda  Fountain  Bill  "  which  sought  to  regulate 
the  structure  of  soda  fountains  and  the  manner  of  keeping  syrups, 
etc.,  has  been  defeated,  as  it  ought  to  have  been.  The  benefits  to 
be  derived  from  such  a  law  are  largely,  if  not  altogether,  imaginary, 
the  injury  done  by  it  would  have  been  real  and  immense. 
