State Board of Pharmacy v. Bellinger

138 A.D. 12, 122 N.Y.S. 651, 1910 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 1451
Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York·Decided April 22, 1910·Published·Cited by 7 cases

Opinion

Carr, J.:

The appellant is the owner of a pharmacy in the borough of Brooklyn. He appeals from a judgment recovered against him in [13] the Municipal Court of the city of New York for an alleged violation of the Public Health Law, in that he permitted one who was not a licensed pharmacist to sell medicines in his store. The drugs or medicines so sold were “ Tincture of Iodine,” “ Camphor Liniment,” “ Chloroform Liniment ” and “ Spirits of Camphor.” On the trial he offered no evidence in his defense, relying upon certain propositions of law which he then raised and now repeats on this appeal. There can be no question, on the proof in this case, that the person who sold these medicines was not a licensed pharmacist. There is evidence of an express admission of that fact by the defendant himself to one" of the plaintiff’s witnesses, in addition to other proof.

That the statute in question may forbid the sale of these articles by other than licensed pharmacists, except as therein prescribed, has but recently been settled conclusively under similar provisions of the former statute. (State Board of Pharmacy v. Matthews, 197 N. Y. 353.) The exceptions do not seem to apply to this case. Section 238 of the Public Health Law (Consol. Laws, chap, 45 ; Laws of 1909, chap. 49) makes the owner of the pharmacy “equally liable'as principal” whenever the prohibited sale takes place. The penalty provided for such a violation is the sum of twenty-five dollars, collectible in an action which may be maintained in the name of the.State Board of Pharmacy. (Public Health Law, §.239.)

In the case at bar all the articles in question were sold as a part of one transaction to the same person for the aggregate sum of fifty-five cents. The question arises whether the defendant was liable for a separate penalty for each article sold, on the theory that for e'ach article there was a separate and distinct violation of the statute. The learned trial court awarded judgment for fifty dollars, no doubt on the theory that there were at least two violations shown. The language of the statute creating the penalty provides it “ for every such violation,” but we think that one transaction of sale is not to be divided into its separate elements in order to multiply penalties. There was here but one sale of several articles, and properly but one violation of the statute, and, therefore, but one penalty recoverable. (United States Condensed Milk Co. v. Smith, 116 App. Div. 15.)

Where the transactions of sale are distinct and separate the [14] accumulated penalties for each violation are recoverable. ' (Suffolk County v. Shaw, 21 App. Div. 146; State Board of Pharmacy v. Matthews, supra.) The judgment appealed from should be modified by striking out the amount of twenty-five dollars awarded as a separate penalty.' As to the appellant’s objection that the action should have been brought in the namés of the individuals who compose the State Board of Pharmacy and not in the name of the Board itsfelf, we think that it is without merit. The' statute; itself "gives the right to maintain the action in the name .of the Board, A similar contention has been raised before and decided adversely to the appellant’s claim. (Board of Health v. Valentine, 57 Hun, 591; 11 N. Y. Supp. 112.)

Again, the claim of the. appellant that the plaintiff must prove, every time it brings such an action as this, the title to office of those who are its members, and thus submit that title to collateral attack in every action for a penalty, has neither reason nor authority to sustain it. The statute having created the thing which it. calls the State Board of Pharmacy, the courts will, in actions like this, take judicial notice of its existence, apart from the titles to office of its individual members, 'which may be inquired into under other and appropriate circumstances. ' '

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State Board of Pharmacy v. Bellinger, 138 A.D. 12, 122 N.Y.S. 651, 1910 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 1451 (N.Y. Ct. App. 1910).

138 A.D. 12 (State Board of Pharmacy v. Bellinger) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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