In the endeavor to check the spread of this pernicious use of dangerous drugs, the Federal Government in 1910 issued the first of a series of pamphlets through the Department of Agri culture warning the people against the use of habit-forming drugs, and calling particular at tention to the drinks containing cocaine served at many soda fountains. Prior to the appear ance of this bulletin, the Federal authorities had forbidden the sale of certain popular bever ages for this reason, and the manufacturers were not permitted to supply orders again until they had changed their formulas to the satis faction of the Bureau of Chemistry.
In view of Secretary Wilson's charge that druggists, physicians, and patent medicine man ufacturers were largely responsible for the development of drug habits, the revision com mittee of the American Pharmaceutical Associ ation, which met in May 1911, investigated and passed unfavorably upon a number of the so called "remedies." Both the Federal authorities and the health officials of the several States began a definite campaign against the sale of pernicious drugs along the following lines: (1) To educate the public through the press as well as by lectures, pamphlets, etc. (2) To secure the enactment of laws forbidding the sale of habit-forming drugs, and preparations containing them, except on the prescription of duly authorized persons. (3) To require a permanent record to be kept of all transactions in such drugs, whether by prescription or other wise, the same to be subject to Federal and State inspection, at all times. (4) The enact ment of laws forbidding the handling of such drugs, except by druggists, manufacturers, and others legally qualified. (5) To secure the pas sage of laws permitting State Boards of Health to revoke the licenses of physicians or drug gists convicted of selling such drugs for other than legitimate purposes. (6) To secure the passage of a Federal law prohibiting the inter state shipment of habit-forming drugs, or prep arations containing them, except through the regular channels of trade in which records of all transactions must be kept. In 1914 the so called Harrison bill was passed by the United States Congress, and it went into effect 1 March 1915. It requires that every person who pro duces, imports, manufactures, compounds, deals in, dispenses, sells, distributes, or gives away opium, or coca leaves, or any compound, man ufacture, salt, derivative, or preparation thereof* shall register with the collector of internal revenue of the district, and pay an annual special tax of $1. Every sale is to be
recorded with the patient's or purchaser's name, age, and address, together with the name of the dealer or physician and the date. It is made unlawful for any dealer or druggist to supply an opiate unless all the requirements have been fulfilled. Exceptions are made in the case of preparations which do not contain more than two grains of opium, one-quarter grain of mor phine, one-eighth grain of heroin, one grain of codeine, or any salt or derivative of them in one fluid ounce, or, if solid or semi-solid, in one ounce avoirdupois. This exception has been sharply criticized, since it has been shown that prescriptions of the strength exempted will readily supply the usual 2-grain dose to an addict if he takes an ounce at a time.
Several of the States have passed similar laws, and the immediate effect has been to cur tail illicit sales of these drugs to a very consid erable degree. In nearly all of the States these drugs be procured only on a physician's prescription, and in some it is unlawful even for a physician to supply such drugs to addicts except in regular professional treatment of dis ease. In a few of the States these habit-form ing drugs are classed as poisons, and may be sold if provided with a poison label. In Louisi ana chloroform and hyoscyamus are included among the forbidden drugs. The drug law of Michigan forbids any person except a physician to receive or have in possession any cocaine, al pha eucaine, or beta eucaine, or any of their salts, even as an ingredient of some other prep aration. The law of West Virginia makes it a felony to dispense cocaine to addicts.
In China, where the opium habit has held sway since the 13th century the fight against the habit began with the Imperial Edict issued in 1729 against opium smoking. In 1796 an edict was issued forbidding the importation of opium, which then came from India. The Chi nese set diligently to work cultivating the poppy, and notwithstanding the death penalty decreed to opium smokers, the trade continued.