the United States Public Health Service during the month of February. Reports from the remaining clinics had not been received at the time of the compilation of this report. Census of all patients under care of 48 of the clinics operated by, or in conjunction with, the U. S. Public Health Service, for the month of February, 1919. DRUGGISTS COOPERATE IN VENEREAL DISEASE CONTROL WORK. Some time ago the Division of Venereal Diseases of the Public Health Service circularized druggists with literature and pledge cards. Druggists were asked to sign a card on which the following pledges appear: "1. Not to prescribe or recommend any remedy for a venereal disease. "2. After this date, not to purchase a proprietary remedy to be sold to the public for the self-treatment of a venereal disease, and not to sell any such remedy after January 15, 1919. "3. To refill only such prescriptions for the treatment of venereal disease as were given originally to the customer by a reputable physician who is still in charge of the case. "4. To cause literature furnished by the Surgeon General to be handed to every person asking, without a physician's prescription, for a remedy customarily confined to the treatment of a venereal disease. Further, to direct the applicant to a reputable physician, to a board of health, or to an approved venereal clinic." The cards were sent to 48,500 retail druggists and 26,049 of the druggists (over 50 per cent) returned their pledge cards properly signed. These signed cards have been sent to the State health officers for their information and in order that they may supply the druggists with the literature mentioned in paragraph 4 of the pledge cards. The campaign among druggists is now in the state of attempting to enlist those members of the trade who failed to sign the first request of the Public Health Service. Retail druggists are now receiving through the mails a copy of the special bulletin, "Responsibility of Druggists for the Public Health," designed to impress upon the members of the trade the fact that they occupy a peculiar position in their relationship to the communities they serve. Druggists and drug clerks should consider it their imperative duty to cooperate in the venereal-disease control program. DEATHS DURING WEEK ENDED MARCH 22, 1919, IN CITIES. The following table shows the registered deaths from all causes and from pneumonia (all forms) and influenza combined in certain large cities of the United States during the week ended March 22, 1919. The annual death rates per 1,000 population for the week and for the corresponding week of previous years are also shown. The data are taken from the "Weekly Health Index," March 25, 1919, issued by the Bureau of the Census, Department of Commerce. The populations used in computing the rates are estimated by the Bureau of the Census as of July 1, 1918. Registered deaths and annual death rates per 1,000 population in certain large cities the United States, week ended Mar. 22, 1919-Deaths from all causes, and from pne. monia (all forms) and influenza combined. "A" indicates that the rate given is the average annual death rate per 1,000 population for the corre sponding week of the years 1913 to 1917, inclusive. "C" indicates that the rate is the annual death rate per 1,000 population for the corresponding week of 1918. 2 Population estimated as of July 1, 1919. * Rate is based on statistics of 1915, 1916, and 1917. NARCOTIC DRUGS INTERPRETATION OF HARRISON ACT. COURT DECIDES THAT PHYSICIAN WHO GIVES PRESCRIPTION DISPENSES THE DRUG. In construing the Harrison antinarcotic act the United States district court for the western district of Pennsylvania has decided' that a person charged with dispensing narcotic drugs in violation of the act can not escape punishment by setting up the plea that he was not the owner of the drugs dispensed. 1 Reprint 338 from the Pub. Health Repts., p. 589. Section 2 of the Harris n & makes it underful to sell, barter. exchange, or give away." with certain en intima, sty of the drugs mentioned in section 1 of th The vin lant & plugs in, was . charged with unlawfully dye professional practice. The endale showed that he had issued a great many prescriptions for the drugs, but he antet, lai that he ha i canted no offitse, because the war's "cll. barter, exchange, or give away" could only apply to owners of the drug. In rejecting this contention the court sati: ription is not to sell. It is insisted that to dispense e disbute the ins lamer, exchange, or give them away. It bela in United Stats, St. well 133 U. S. 1. 10 Sap. Ct. 244, 33 L. Ed. 555 that statutes eza ted to prevent frauds upon the Rucnue are considered as enacted for the public good and to suppress a public wrong, and therefore, although they may impose penalties or frieitures, are to be fairly and pasctably construed so as to carry out the intention of the legislature. It could hardy be said that words of so broad import as "sell, barter, exchange, or give away, when standing together, were intended by Congress to be so narrowly and strictly construed as to include only those cases where title to the presribed drug was in who undertook to dispense or distribute it. The lawraskers were not concerned with the ownership of the drug, but with its unlawful distribution. It could matter nothing to the poor victim in the fatal clutches of the drug habit where title was to the narcotic which was thus dispensed to him, every grain of which brought him bearer to the grave. Whether the victim procured the drug from the hand of the physician or through the druggist on an order or prescription of the physician can matter nothing, unless we look blindly at the letter of the act, wholly forgetting its spirit and purpose. EPIDEMIC INFLUENZA. PREVALENCE IN THE UNITED STATES. A decided decrease in the number of reported cases of influenza throughout the United States is shown by telegraphic reports for the week ended March 29. (See pp. 696 and 700.) A recrudescence of the disease is reported in the western part of Kansas, and the number of cases reported in the State of Vermont is slightly greater than for the preceding week. With these exceptions decreases are noted in all States from which reports have been received. |