Papers Of Abraham Lincoln

THIRTIETH CONGRESS—SECOND SESSION.
H. R. 755.
(Report No. 52.)
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
February 6, 1849.
Read twice, and postponed until to-morrow.
Mr. Edwards, from the Select Committee, to which the subject
was referred, reported the following bill:
A BILL
To prevent the patenting of medicines.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives of the United States of America in Congress
assembled, That, from and after the passage of this act,
letters patent shall not be granted for any article or pre-
paration whatever as a medicine; and that the use, as a
medicine, or any article or preparation, for which letters
patent may hereafter be granted, shall not be held to be
an infringement of such patent: Provided, That no pa-
tent, granted prior to the passage of this act, shall, by
reason thereof, be held to be void; and that this act shall not
be so construed as to deprive an inventor or discoverer of

<Page 2>

12
13
14
15
16
17 the right to letters patent for a new and improved process
for preparing or manufacturing any medicinal article,
whether simple or compound: And provided, also, That
the prohibition contained in this act, shall not apply to ma-
chines, instruments, or apparatus pertaining either to sur-
gery or medicine.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Repre- sentatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That, from and after the passage of this act, letters patent shall not be granted for any article or pre- paration whatever as a medicine; and that the use, as a medicine, or any article or preparation, for which letters patent may hereafter be granted, shall not be held to be an infringement of such patent: Provided, That no pa- tent, granted prior to the passage of this act, shall, by reason thereof, be held to be void; and that this act shall not be so construed as to deprive an inventor or discoverer of
<Page 2>
12 13 14 15 16 17	the right to letters patent for a new and improved process for preparing or manufacturing any medicinal article, whether simple or compound: And provided, also, That the prohibition contained in this act, shall not apply to ma- chines, instruments, or apparatus pertaining either to sur- gery or medicine.