Mr. Hay to Mr. Thieriot.

No. 30.]

Sir: Referring to the Department’s instruction of yesterday’s date, I inclose copy of a later letter from the J. C. Ayer Company relative to the “exclusion of their medicines from Portugal.

I am, etc.,

John Hay.
[Page 437]
[Inclosure.]

J. C. Ayer Company to Mr. Hill.

Sir: We had the honor of addressing you on the 15th instant in the matter of our preparations in Portugal, and to-day are in receipt of your esteemed favor of the 14th, covering copy of a note addressed to the United States legation at Lisbon by the Portuguese foreign office stating that permission has been denied for the sale of Ayer’s Cherry Pectoral, Ayer’s Sarsaparilla, and Ayer’s Ague Cure. In this note is not stated the ground on which the permission has been denied, but our resident agents at Oporto inform us that the decision has been made on the ground that the preparations in question are “secret” medicines. As stated in our respects to you of the 15th instant, this is not true.

In any event the decision is a most arbitrary one and has no just basis, the motive therefor being, in fact, the desire of the Portuguese native manufacturers to prevent the importation and competition of American medicines.

The exclusion of our Ague Cure is of small moment, as we have made no particular demand in Portugal for that medicine, but we beg that you will be kind enough to exert your influence in favor of a reversal of the decision of the Portuguese ministers in so far as the same affects Ayer’s Cherry Pectoral and Ayer’s Sarsaparilla.

Again expressing our thanks for your good attention, and hoping for your further assistance in the way indicated herein and in our letter of the 15th instant,

We have, etc.,

J. C. Ayer Company.