Letters and documents from the several years preceding this event suggest that Judson had become more prominent in the business, and that he and William H. Comstock had gradually been drawing closer together, perhaps in opposition to George.  Judson, although a partner of Comstock & Brother, also operated under his own name at 50 Leonard Street and had originated several of the medicines himself.  It is not clear whether the old firm of Comstock & Brother was formally dissolved, but after 1864 insurance policies and other documents referred to the premises as “Comstock & Judson.”  In 1863 the federal internal revenue license in connection with the new “temporary” Civil War tax on the manufacturing of drugs[6] was issued simply to B.L.  Judson & Co., now located, with the Comstocks, at 106 Franklin Street.

[Footnote 6:  The “temporary” tax placed upon drug manufacture as a revenue measure during the Civil War remained in effect until 1883.]

[Illustration:  FIGURE 11.—­This announcement, sent to all customers of the Indian Root Pills, marked the final termination of the long dispute between two firms, both named A.J.  White & Co., and both of whom claimed ownership of the pills.]

During this period Judson and William Henry Comstock became interested in a coffee-roasting and spice-grinding business, operated under the name of Central Mills, and located in the Harlem Railroad Building at the corner of Centre and White Streets.  Possibly George objected to his partners spreading their energies over a second business; in any case, dissension must have arisen over some matter.  On April 1, 1866, balance sheets were drawn up separately for B.L.  Judson & Co. and Comstock & Judson; the former showed a net worth of $48,527.56 against only $5,066.70 for the latter.  Both of these firms had a common bookkeeper, E. Kingsland, but the relationship between the firms is not known.

On April 25, Judson and William H. Comstock sold their coffee-roasting business to one Alexander Chegwidden, taking a mortgage on the specific assets, which included, besides roasters and other machinery, a horse and wagon.  But if this had been a factor in the controversy among the partners, the sale failed to end it, for we find that on December 21, 1866, George W. obtained an injunction against William Henry and Judson restraining them from collecting or receiving any accounts due the partnership of B.L.  Judson & Co., transferring or disposing of any of its assets, and continuing business under that name or using any of its trademarks.  Unfortunately, we have no information as to the details of this case or the terms of settlement, but we do find that on February 1, 1867, the law firm of Townsend, Dyett & Morrison rendered a bill for $538.85 to B.L.  Judson and William H. Comstock for “Supervising and engrossing two copies of agreement with George W. Comstock on settlement” and for representing the two parties named in several actions and cross actions with George.