EDITORIAL. 383 
January, 1849, 1,300 lbs. Pectoral Paste, from San Juan. 
do. 2,071 lbs. Rhubarb, do. London. 
do. 3.550 lbs. Jalap, do. Havanah. 
do. 1,930 lbs. Spurious Bark, do. Antwerp. 
February, 974 lbs. .Rhubarb, do. London. 
do. 1.992 oz. Iodine, do. do. 
March, 1,104 oz. Croton Oil, do. do. 
do. 4,894 lbs. Senna, do. do. 
do. 1,345 lbs. Spurious Bark, do. do. 
do. 404 lbs. Opium, do. do. 
do. 1,150 lbs. Valerian root, do. Paris. 
April, 425 lbs. Opium, do. London. 
"do.' 1,273 lbs. Myrrh, do. do. 
do. 550 lbs. Jalap, do. Vera Cruz. 
do. 816 lbs. do. do. Tampico. 
do. 1,450 lbs. Sarsaparilla, do. do. 
do. 600 lbs. Spurious Bark, do. Barranquilla. 
Together with smaller quantities of various articles which have been 
rejected from time to time, but which it is not necessary to enumerate 
here — making the entire amount, some 90.000 lbs. of various drugs, 
&c, which have, up to the present time, been refused." 
After commenting on the valuable results of the law in question, as 
obtained at the port of New York, the author turns his remarks towards 
the business of domestic adulteration that is going on, and he is of 
opinion that the law of Congress is only the first step in the reforms 
which are necessary to rid our land of this monstrous evil. It was a 
common remark of those who were lukewarm towards the measure, 
that its passage would merely transfer the evil from Europe to our own 
shores, that the inducement to adulterate would be increased, and that 
yankee ingenuity would find a fruitful field for its exercise in this 
villanous business. However true these views, and we believe they 
are true to a great extent, it always was the design of the reform advo- 
cates to begin with the foreign adulteraters, because, so long as they 
were permitted to pour their vile productions on our shores, the very 
perfection of fair dealing / on our part, would be useless. Now that it 
is possible to begin right at home, let us use all our endeavors to do so. 
Now that good drugs only, it is presumed, enter our markets from 
abroad, let us leave no stone unturned to preserve their goodness un- 
impaired by sophistication. The best drugs are sufficiently prone to de- 
preciate in value by the silent but sure influence of time and exposure 
to light, air, and variable temperature, without assistance from the 
villany of the unprincipled. 
The action of Legislatures in a matter that must eventually rest with 
the conscience of individuals, is not always effective. Laws — good 
wholesome laws — will be hailed with satisfaction by all honourable 
members of both branches of the medical profession and by respectable 
