Ajam?auiy  wo™' f  Drugs  and  Food  Acts  of  1848  and  ipo6.  17 
present  enumeration  of  drugs  with  the  prescribed  tests,  and  sub- 
stituting a  general  provision  that  crude  drugs  of  every  kind  shall 
conform  to  the  standards  prescribed  in  the  current  editions  of  the 
Pharmacopoeia  and  Dispensatory.  Such  change  would  tend  to  uni- 
formity and  would  eliminate  a  cause  of  complaint  usually  found  with 
a  dual  standard. 
THE  DRUG  IMPORTATION  ACT  OF  1848  AND  THE  FOOD 
AND  DRUGS  ACT  OF  JUNE  30,  1906. 
By  L.  F.  Rebler,  M.D.,  Ph.G., 
Chief  of  Drug  Division  of  the  Bureau  of  Chemistry,  Washington,  D.  C. 
I  have  listened  with  very  much  interest  to  the  proceedings  of  this 
meeting  and  am  pleased  to  add  a  few  words  to  the  interesting  dis- 
cussion. We  always  welcome  the  views  and  opinions  of  those 
directly  interested  in  drug  products.  The  resolution  printed  in  your 
circular  was  read  with  very  much  interest,  and  in  order  to  have  it 
before  us,  it  is  herewith  reproduced : 
"Resolved,  That  we  earnestly  urge  the  United  States  Customs  authorities 
to  have  steps  taken  whereby,  (1)  the  law  of  June  26,  1848,  shall  be  repealed 
and  a  new  law  enacted,  (2)  the  U.  S.  Pharmacopoeia  shall  be  recognized  as 
the  legal  standard  for  medicinal  products  imported  into  the  United  States,  as 
is  the  same  authority  by  the  Food  and  Drugs  Act  of  June  30,  1906,  (3)  that 
the  new  law  shall  be  framed  in  harmony  with  the  Food  and  Drugs  Act  of 
June  30,  1906,  to  the  end  that  intra-state  commerce  shall  be  made  uniform 
with  inter-state  commerce,  (4)  that  foreign  Pharmacopoeias  shall  be  recog- 
nized only  where  drugs  are  not  official  in  the  U.  S.  Pharmacopoeia,  and  (5) 
that  new  regulations  be  made  by  the  U.  S.  Customs  Service  whereby  abso- 
lutely uniform  conditions  in  the  entry  of  drugs  into  the  country  shall  obtain 
at  all  the  ports." 
It  hardly  seems  necessary  to  discuss  the  several  items  individually, 
but  I  believe  that  the  same  purpose  will  be  met  by  setting  forth 
existing  conditions. 
It  appears  that  the  sheet  anchor  of  hope  for  dealers  of  adulterated 
and  debased  drugs  resides  in  the  proviso  of  Section  7  of  the  Food 
and  Drugs  Act.  Various  importers  have  taken  the  position  that  if  a 
drug  product,  recognized  by  the  United  States  Pharmacopoeia,  is 
marked  in  harmony  with  the  proviso  contained  in  this  section,  irre- 
spective of  adulteration,  debasement,  sophistication,  or  dangerous 
character,  it  can  be  imported  notwithstanding  the  harmful  effects  it 
