166 
dr. Edwards' report. 
bill. If the preservation of life and health are important 
objects to secure in a community, legitimate means to real- 
ize that end are of vital importance. To permit the intro = 
duclion of adulterated and spurious articles of medicine 
amongst the people, does, in effect, render the antidote 
worse than the bane ; inasmuch as it fails to realize the 
effects intended in its prescription. It will, however, be 
seen in the end, I think, that the law benefits not only the 
public, whose interest in it is paramount,) but also that of 
the revenue. Already certain drugs have been imported 
of a superior quality to those of the same varieties hereto- 
fore, and at a cost of over 100 per cent, on former prices." 
In the absence of all record, I deem it not unreasonable 
to infer that the effect of this law is, or ultimately will be, 
to increase the revenue, particularly tinder an ad valorem 
tariff. The greatly increased value of the higher grades of 
drugs, &c, now imported, has more than counterbalanced 
any loss sustained by the revenue on the articles rejected. 
Many invoices of high priced drugs, &c, are now ordered 
and imported freely, that were entirely unknown in this 
market, previously to the passage of this law, on account 
of the immense quantities of inferior articles everywhere to 
be met at reduced rates. The example of two or three 
articles will explain the reason of the opinion that the pre- 
sent bill will increase the revenues. Turkey rhubarb, 
Aleppo scammony, and genuine Peruvian bark, were 
scarcely to be found on sale twelve months since. The 
scammony, then imported, came invoiced at from forty to 
ninety cents per pound, a worthless article. The importa- 
tion of this has been excluded, and in its stead we have the 
Aleppo imported at from five dollars to five dollars and 
fifty cents per pound. The Turkey rhubarb that found no 
market here, is now imported in considerable quantities at 
from two dollars to two dollars seventy-five cents per 
pound, and is readily sold. Sixty cases of East India rhu- 
barb were recently imported at thirty-five cents per pound, 
