The Currier bill provides: “That any patent issued to a citizen or subject of a foreign country, shall be upon the same conditions and for the same term as are patents issued by such country to citizens of the United States.”
This single provision, it is said, would effectually correct the evils arising from our present system of process and product patents, but would be contrary to the terms of the International Convention for the protection of industrial property and will no doubt be vigorously opposed on this ground.
Incorporation of the Public Health Defense League. A bill has been introduced into the Legislature of the State of New York providing for the incorporation of the Public Health Defense League, under a special charter patterned after that of the Red Cross Society.
The object of this new society is announced as being an organized movement against medical and surgical quacks, frauds in patent medicines or nostrums, and an effort to obtain and to disseminate accurate information concerning practices and conditions of every kind that are dangerous to the public health and morals. (Journal A. M. A., 1907, page 236.)
Sunday Rest in France.—Pharmacists in France are not alone adapting themselves to the recently enacted Sunday Rest Law, but are even going farther and are adopting earlier hours for closing during the week.
At Grenoble, where Sunday closing has been in vogue for some time, the pharmacists have decided to close at 8 P.M. daily and to organize a night service by rotation.
The syndicate of Paris pharmacists recommends that its members adopt 9 P.M. as the hour for closing during the week and to close from midday till the following morning on Sundays and bank holidays. (Chem. and Drug., 1906, page 775.)
Popularity of Pasteur in France.—The Petit Parisien has taken a rather interesting plebiscite as to who is thought to be the greatest of nineteenth century Frenchmen. In the voting Pasteur took the lead from the first, followed by Victor Hugo, Gambetta, Napoleon I, Thiers and Lazare Carnot, in the order named. (Chem. and Drug., 1907, page 6.)
Doses in the Codex.—The Codex Revision Committee has decided to include a list of maximum doses in a supplement to the Codex, and has delegated the work of drawing up such a list to a special committee including MM. Laudouszy, Marty, Bourquelot, Gilbert and Yvon. (Chem. and Drug., Dec., 1906, page 884.)
The Druggists’ Circular has rounded out a half century of its existence. The January, 1907, number of this journal constitutes a fiftieth anniversary number and comprises a total of 320 pages. The 190 or more pages that are devoted to reading matter contain quite an exhaustive review of American pharmacy during the past fifty years. All of the more interesting articles are liberally illustrated and the number itself will no doubt be appreciated as an album of men who have contributed, or are now contributing, to the development of the science of pharmacy in America.