Minister Squiers to
the Secretary of State.
American Legation,
Habana,
Cuba, February 18,
1905.
No. 1187.]
Sir: In continuation of my No. 1174 of the 1st
instant, and in reply to Department instructions No. 471, of the 8th of
this month, inclosing copy of a letter from the Lambert Pharmacal
Company of St. Louis, protesting against the Cuban patent medicine law,
I have to transmit herewith translation of a letter from the chief clerk
of the department of the interior to the secretary of this legation
advising him that the regulations for the sale of patent medicines have
been modified in the sense that it shall not be obligatory to place on
the outside of the wrapper of each remedy the respective formula.
I am, etc.,
[Page 265]
[Inclosure.]
The Chief Clerk of the
Interior Department to Chargé Sleeper.
[Personal.]
Republic of Cuba, Secretariate of the
Interior,
Habana, February 13,
1905.
By the attached copy of a letter which I this day address to Mr. C.
B. Riker, treasurer and general manager of the Sidney Ross Company,
of New York, you will see that in accordance with my promise of
several days ago the order of this secretariate relative to the sale
of remedies has been modified in the sense that it shall not be
obligatory to place on the outside of the wrapper thereof the
respective formulas, it being sufficient that the latter be known to
the government, which shall maintain due secrecy.
This measure, in addition to avoiding the objectionable features
which you pointed out to me and which would have occasioned serious
damage to American commerce, tends to likewise protect the interests
of public health within existing legislation.
I am, etc.,
[Subinclosure.—Translation.]
The Chief Clerk of the
Interior Department to the Sidney
Ross Company.
Republic of Cuba, Secretariate of the
Interior,
Habana, February 13,
1905.
Sir: On August 27, 1904, in reply to your
petition of July 7 last addressed to the governor of this province,
I stated to you that in accordance with the opinion of the superior
board of health, which was consulted with respect to the possibility
of deferring to the wishes of your company expressed in the petition
above mentioned, it was absolutely necessary to print the respective
formula on the outside of packages containing pharmaceutical
preparations placed on sale in this island.
Subsequently reconsidering the case and bearing in mind the numerous
hardships would be imposed upon foreign commerce by carrying out
this measure, which on the other hand might give rise to all kinds
of falsification, and for the purpose of harmonizing such interests
of commerce with those of the public health, the secretary has
canceled his previous order, requiring at the same time that all
persons who desire to place on sale in this island any compounded
remedy should send to this office a copy in duplicate of the formula
thereof, which the government shall treat with the proper confidence
without prejudice to its right to prohibit the sale of all those
preparations which do not offer, in the judgment of the techincal
official corporations, the necessary guarantees, whether because
containing substances injurious to health in excessive proportion or
for incompatibility or other causes which may justify such
prohibition.
Yours, very truly,
