PATENT MEDICINES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12860, 8 May 1905, Page 4

PATENT MEDICINES.

The final decision of the proprietors of patent medicines to abandon their trade with Now Zealand rather than comply with the arbitrary and inquisitorial Regulation of the Health Department, requiring them to disclose the formulae of their preparations to the Head of the Department will excite no surprise. We doubt very much whether the Government even deluded itself with the expectation that these great business linns would accede to the wholly unreasonable demand that their trade secrets should be given up in spite of the assurance that they would be treated confidentially. But whatever the Government may have thought—if it thought at all— the result of its uncalled for interference is likely to deprive a large section of the community of a variety of medicines which experience has proved to be highly efficacious in a great numbc; of ailments. The specious plea that the action of the Government is due to a desire to protect (he public against deleterious medicines will not bear examination since the existing law, if properly enforced, is sufficient to effect that purpose. Besides, the public in a matter of this kind can, as a rule, be safely left to look after itself. But even assuming that the Regulation of (lie Department is honestly intended to safeguard the interests of the public against pernicious preparations put on the market by unscrupulous manufacturers, it would still be open to grave objection by reason of its sweeping and indiscriminaling character ft makes no distinction between patent medicines that are known to be harmless and those that are suspected of being hurtful. All are treated alike—the | patent medicine that has shown the test of half-a-century or more, that has won foi itself a reputation all over the world, and the mos obscure and doubtful preparation that appeals for public patronage. Had a reasonable discrimination been exercised we venture to say that there is scarcely a, patent medicine" that is sold in New Zealand to-day that would have been brought under the provisions of the Regulation. As it is, and unless Sir Joseph Ward amends, as we hope he will do. his ill-starred Regulation, there will be no patent medicines on sale in New Zealand once it comes into operation. This, we do not hesitate to assert, will be ?. distinct hardship which the poorer classes, and especially the country settlers, will be the first to feel. The public has not asked for this preposterous Regulation ; it is ill-advised and inexpedient ; it is objectionable and unjust, and is an m?warrantable interference with the right of the individual to buy and the vendor to sell. On these grounds alone if stands condemned, and we hope that after Parliament repeals the obnoxious clause in the Shops Act, which so cruelly wrongs thousands of small struggling tradespeople throughout the colony" it will immediately proceed to deal with this patent medicines Regulation which is equally uncalled for and unreasonable.