United States v. Calhoun

District Court, D. South Carolina
United States v. Calhoun, 39 F. 604 (1889)
1889 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 157

United States v. Calhoun

Opinion of the Court

Simonton, J.,

(charging jury.) The defendant, an apothecary, is charged with violating section 3242, Rev. St., being a retail liquor dealer without paying the special tax. It is not denied that he sold to the several persons, witnesses for the government, a compound of rye whisky and calisaya bark. The defense is that this was a medicine originally put up under a prescription of a physician. An apothecary who bona fide uses spirituous liquor exclusively in the preparation or making up-of medicines need not pay the special tax. These are the questions you must answer in this case: In the sale made by defendant to the witnesses for the government, did he bona fide sell them the compound as medicine, and not as a beverage, or was the compound simply whisky in disguise? Is it a medicine to cure disease, or is it intended to gratify the thirst for drink? If it is a medicine, has it intoxicating quality? If so, was this known to defendant? Did he sell it knowing or having reason to know that it was purchased to be used as a beverage? If it was sold bona fide as a medicine, to be used as a medicine, defendant is not guilty.

Reference

Cited By
2 cases
Status
Published