SECRET REMEDIES.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,—May one who has resided much in Italy and France be allowed to endorse your opinion that the real check on the use and abuse of secret remedies in England would be a law requiring "every patent medicine to bear upon it a statement as to the drugs it contains" (Spectator, January 15th)? In Italy a law to this effect is strictly enforced, and advertisements of patent medicines are accompanied by their recipes. Thus the Englishman in Italy learns the com- position of drugs which are secret at home. Again, Italian chemists are required to copy the physician's prescription on all bottles and boxes dispensed by them,—a great safeguard against mistakes, unless nurse or patient should be afflicted with "Blue Pill's" inability to decipher any prescription.—
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