THE PATENT MEDICINE RESULATIONS.

Otago Witness, Volume 14, Issue 2648, 14 December 1904, Page 29

THE PATENT MEDICINE RESULATIONS.

DEPUTATION TO SIR J. G. WARD.

WELLINGTON, December 9.

Ihis morning a deputation of manufacs turers and importers of patent medicines, representing interests all over the colony, waited on the Minister of Public Health to protest against the recently-gazetted retaliations.

Sir Joseph Ward, in reply, said that as a result ot statements he had seen in the press he had asked the Chief Health Officer whether the recommendations were made at the instigation of the doctors or any section of the chemists of the colony, and Dv Mason had assured him that such was not the case. The idea was not to interlere with the enterprise of the drug trade, but to protect the public, and the regulations were the outcome of analysis of articles submitted to the department by various people. He admitted that there were many very good medicines imported which ought not to be interfered with, but; there were' also some very bad ones. He had in his possession a statement by the Chief Health Officer that an imported proprietary medicine was being widely sold in the colony which was or such a character that if a doctor gave a prescription to a, patient for medicine of the same kind he would be criTninauy prosecuted. Druggists ought to be -with the Government and Health Department in their efforts to prevent the wholesale distribution of such articles as these. The department did not want to put any proprietor in the position of having lo disclose his formula, and •admitted that he was entitled to protection, and the fruits of his research and enterprise. Regarding the objections to the "poison" provision, he could not sec why such strong objection was taken to it, as it was the •law in England. The Chief Health Officer had furnished him with information regarding certain specifics which were on sale, and which contained more poison than they ought. He admitted there had been no case of poisoning by patent medicines. However, in the case of a cei'tain soothing syrup Dr Mason had informed him that the child life of the colony was seriously prejudiced by its use; and there were also certain alleged tonics, which had a wide vogue among women, which contained 48 per cent, of alcohol. With reference to the ccmplaint that .holders of stocks would suffer serious loss through not being able to quit them by the time the regulations came into "force, he said that if the v regula--tions co-me into operation the stocks on hand could be aold in the ordinary way, though probably the formula of their composition would have to be lodged with the Health Department. He had received from, various pacts of the colony expressions of approval from the public of steps taken to protect them, and it would be criminal on the part of the Government if it did not stop the sale of noxious concoctions What the Government wanted to ascertain was which medicines -were injurious. The -wholesale people need have no fear about .their stocks, and the people in the back-blocks •would not be interfered with, for local? people would surely provide them with good medicines. He was convinced that when the matter was finally settled on a. proper basis the same volume of trade would go on, with the exception that the injurious drugs would be kept out. He had said in Dunedin, and he was still of the opinion, that it was perhaps not Msces&My to disclose the formula by printing it on th-T label ; but the department must ' o -• some way of knowing what the iv r "- - contained.

Replying to a question, the Mirii?te, •£.• d importers would be able to go on importing, but they should not, of course, import those medicines which they knew would be stopped.