NoahBriggs
02-01-2007, 09:12 PM
Astoria lab diversion prevention procedures
Joseph Bill was the director of the Astoria Laboratories in Long Island, NY during part of the Civil War. According to Medicines For the Union Army By George Smith, Bill “. . . developed a procedure of invoices and receipts, which, together with his elaborate devices for inspection, made an involved procedure. . .”
A lot of opium comes to the Depot. The store keeper notifies the inspector [an Army hospital steward assigned to the lab to supervise as the onsite representative] of the fact and together they proceed to inspect and weigh it. If bad it is at once returned with the proper report. If apparently good it is weighed. The inspector gives the store-keeer a certificate that he has weighed and inspected this lot of opium noting the weight found. The inspector selects a sample from each case and then secures the opium in the cases in a safe place. He assays each sample of the opium and rejects all not containing seven percent of Morphia. He now adds to the certificate given to the store-keeper a statement of the quality of the opium. If the opinion expressed is favorable, I order the storekeeper to receive the opium and it is transferred to his care. He files the inspector’s certificate and enters the amount of the opium in a book (having a Credit and Dr. side) under the heading of “Gum Opium” and on the Dr. side of the book. When necessary he turns over the needed quantity of opium by weight to the miller (entering the quantity in the Credit side of the book) who receipts for the same. This person dries, powders and bolts the quantity issued to him, and when he this is done he notifies the inspector & hands him an invoice of the amount of powder obtained. If the operation has been properly conducted the inspector certifies the fact on the invoice and the powdered opium and the invoice are turned over to the store keeper. The invoice is filed and the amount of the powdered opium received entered into the book under the heading “Pulv. Opii” with the amount. The store-keeper at the same time issues the necessary bottles, corks, etc. to the chief filler who files the receipt. The bottles are then wrapped in hay, covered with paper, tied with twine labeld on the outside of the package, and packed in boxes, each packer performing all these operations and recording his namein lead pencil on the inside of the box packed by him. On the outside of the box the name of the medicine, the date of the packing, and the source are stencilled. After nailing and strapping the boxes are are turned over to the store keeper who enters their number and contents in a shipping book and at once despaches them to their destination, notifying the clerk, however, that the proper invoices may accompany them. The whole arrangement is so perfect that if at any time a purveying officer should complain that his opium is poor or badly packed he has only to examine the box, ascertain the date and the name inside, and be definite in his complaint to enable me to trace any error, fraud, or carelessness to the origin whether it arise from bad powdering, or careless filling and wrapping . . .”
These checks and balances are very similar to the security procedures which have been set up by the Drug Enforcement Administration in an effort to help industry to be able to receive, distribute, track or manufacture controlled substances, as laid out by 21 CFR 1300 – end (http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/21cfr/cfr/index.html).
Joseph Bill was the director of the Astoria Laboratories in Long Island, NY during part of the Civil War. According to Medicines For the Union Army By George Smith, Bill “. . . developed a procedure of invoices and receipts, which, together with his elaborate devices for inspection, made an involved procedure. . .”
A lot of opium comes to the Depot. The store keeper notifies the inspector [an Army hospital steward assigned to the lab to supervise as the onsite representative] of the fact and together they proceed to inspect and weigh it. If bad it is at once returned with the proper report. If apparently good it is weighed. The inspector gives the store-keeer a certificate that he has weighed and inspected this lot of opium noting the weight found. The inspector selects a sample from each case and then secures the opium in the cases in a safe place. He assays each sample of the opium and rejects all not containing seven percent of Morphia. He now adds to the certificate given to the store-keeper a statement of the quality of the opium. If the opinion expressed is favorable, I order the storekeeper to receive the opium and it is transferred to his care. He files the inspector’s certificate and enters the amount of the opium in a book (having a Credit and Dr. side) under the heading of “Gum Opium” and on the Dr. side of the book. When necessary he turns over the needed quantity of opium by weight to the miller (entering the quantity in the Credit side of the book) who receipts for the same. This person dries, powders and bolts the quantity issued to him, and when he this is done he notifies the inspector & hands him an invoice of the amount of powder obtained. If the operation has been properly conducted the inspector certifies the fact on the invoice and the powdered opium and the invoice are turned over to the store keeper. The invoice is filed and the amount of the powdered opium received entered into the book under the heading “Pulv. Opii” with the amount. The store-keeper at the same time issues the necessary bottles, corks, etc. to the chief filler who files the receipt. The bottles are then wrapped in hay, covered with paper, tied with twine labeld on the outside of the package, and packed in boxes, each packer performing all these operations and recording his namein lead pencil on the inside of the box packed by him. On the outside of the box the name of the medicine, the date of the packing, and the source are stencilled. After nailing and strapping the boxes are are turned over to the store keeper who enters their number and contents in a shipping book and at once despaches them to their destination, notifying the clerk, however, that the proper invoices may accompany them. The whole arrangement is so perfect that if at any time a purveying officer should complain that his opium is poor or badly packed he has only to examine the box, ascertain the date and the name inside, and be definite in his complaint to enable me to trace any error, fraud, or carelessness to the origin whether it arise from bad powdering, or careless filling and wrapping . . .”
These checks and balances are very similar to the security procedures which have been set up by the Drug Enforcement Administration in an effort to help industry to be able to receive, distribute, track or manufacture controlled substances, as laid out by 21 CFR 1300 – end (http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/21cfr/cfr/index.html).