Exhibit 10.18-A
                                                   EXECUTION COPY


                   AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO CREDIT AGREEMENT



     Amendment dated as of January 24, 1997 to the Credit Agreement
dated as of May 22, 1996 (the "Credit Agreement") among MALLINCKRODT
INC. (the "Borrower"), the BANKS party thereto, MORGAN GUARANTY TRUST
COMPANY OF NEW YORK, as Administrative Agent (the "Administrative
Agent") and CITIBANK, N.A., as Documentation Agent (the
"Documentation Agent").


                           W I T N E S S E T H:


     WHEREAS, the parties have previously entered into the Credit
Agreement;

     WHEREAS, the Borrower indirectly, through Fries & Fries, Inc.
("Fries & Fries"), its wholly-owned subsidiary, owns 50% of
Tastemaker, a general partnership between Fries & Fries and Hercules
Flavor, Inc. a subsidiary of Hercules Incorporated;

     WHEREAS, Tastemaker proposes to enter into a credit agreement
dated as of January 24, 1997 (the "Tastemaker Credit Agreement")
providing for loans in  an aggregate amount not to exceed
$600,000,000, the proceeds of which will be used to purchase
securities which will be pledged as collateral under the Tastemaker
Credit Agreement;

     WHEREAS, Fries & Fries proposes to Guarantee the obligations of
Tastemaker under the Tastemaker Credit Agreement and the Borrower
proposes to Guarantee such Guarantee obligations of Fries & Fries;
and

     WHEREAS, the Borrower has requested the Banks and the Required
Banks are willing, on the terms and conditions set forth herein, to
amend certain of the covenants in the Credit Agreement;

     NOW, THEREFORE, the undersigned parties hereto agree as follows:

     SECTION 1.  Definitions; References.  Unless otherwise
specifically defined herein, each term used herein which is defined
in the Credit Agreement has the meaning assigned to such term in the
Credit Agreement.  Each reference to "hereof", "hereunder", "herein"
and "hereby" and each other similar reference and each reference to
"this Agreement" and each other similar reference contained in the
Credit Agreement shall from and after the date hereof refer to the
Credit Agreement as amended hereby.

     SECTION 2.  Amendment of Section 1.1 of the Credit Agreement. 
Section 1.1 of the Credit Agreement is amended by inserting, in their
appropriate alphabetical positions, the following definitions:

     "Tastemaker" means Tastemaker, a general partnership between the
Fries & Fries and Hercules Flavor, Inc., a subsidiary of Hercules
Incorporated.

     "Tastemaker Guarantees" means (i) the Guarantee by Fries &
Fries, Inc. of the obligations of Tastemaker under the Tastemaker
Credit Agreement and (ii) the Guarantee by the Borrower of the
Guarantee described in clause (i).

     "Tastemaker Credit Agreement" means the credit agreement dated
as of January 24, 1997 among Tastemaker, Fries & Fries, Inc.,
Mallinckrodt Inc., the Banks party thereto, Morgan Guaranty Trust
Company of New York, as Administrative Agent and Citibank, N.A. as
Documentation Agent, as amended and in effect from time to time;
provided that the principal amount of Indebtedness outstanding
thereunder shall at no time exceed $600,000,000.

     SECTION 3.  Amendment of Section 5.8 of the Credit Agreement. 
Section 5.8 of the Credit Agreement is amended by adding the
following sentence:

     For purposes of this provision, the Tastemaker Guarantees will
be disregarded in calculating Total Debt, including for purposes of
calculating Total Capital.

     SECTION 4.  Amendment of Section 5.9 of the Credit Agreement.  
Section 5.9 of the Credit Agreement is amended by adding the
following sentence:

     For purposes of this provision, the Tastemaker Guarantees will
not be deemed Indebtedness of the Borrower or any of its
Subsidiaries, including for purposes of calculating Total Capital.

     SECTION 5.  Amendment of Section 5.10 of the Credit Agreement. 
Section 5.10 shall not apply to the execution, delivery or
performance of the Tastemaker Guarantees.

     SECTION 6.  Representations and Warranties.  The Borrower hereby
represents and warrants that as of the date hereof and after giving
effect hereto:

     (a)    no Default has occurred and is continuing;

     (b)    each representation and warranty of the Borrower set      
   forth in the Agreement is true and correct as though made on and   
 as of this date; and

     (c)    since September 30, 1996 there has been no material    
adverse change, and nothing has occurred that is reasonably likely    
to result in any material adverse change, in the consolidated    
financial condition, operations or business taken as a whole of    
the Borrower and its Subsidiaries from that set forth in the    
financial statements furnished to the Banks as at that date.

     SECTION 7.  Rights Otherwise Unaffected.  This Amendment is
limited to the matters expressly set forth herein.  Except to the
extent specifically amended hereby, all terms of the Credit Agreement
shall remain in full force and effect.

     SECTION 8.  Governing Law.  This Amendment shall be governed by
and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.
     SECTION 9.  Counterparts; Effectiveness.  This Amendment may be
signed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be an
original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and
hereto were upon the same instrument.  This Amendment shall become
effective as of the date and the year first written above when the
Administrative Agent shall have received duly executed counterparts
hereof signed by the Borrower and the Required Banks (or, in the case
of any party as to which an executed counterpart shall not have been
received, the Administrative Agent shall have received telegraphic,
telex or other written confirmation from such party of execution of a
counterpart hereof by such party)

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this
Amendment to be duly executed as of the date first above written.


  
                               MALLINCKRODT INC.


                               By ________________________       
                               Title: 


                               MORGAN GUARANTY TRUST COMPANY 
                               OF NEW YORK


                               By ________________________
                               Title:



                               CITIBANK, N.A. 


                               By ________________________
                               Title:


                               BANK OF AMERICA ILLINOIS


                               By ________________________
                               Title:


                               THE CHASE MANHATTAN BANK


                               By ________________________
                               Title:


                               THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK
                               OF CHICAGO


                               By ________________________
                               Title:




                               ABN-AMRO BANK N.V., CHICAGO
                               BRANCH


                               By ________________________
                               Title:


                               By ________________________
                               Title:


                               BANCA COMMERCIALE ITALIANA


                               By ________________________
                               Title:


                               By ________________________
                               Title:


                               BANK OF IRELAND


                               By ________________________
                               Title:


                               THE BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA


                               By ________________________
                               Title:



                               THE BANK OF TOKYO-MITSUBISHI,
                               LTD.,CHICAGO BRANCH


                               By ________________________
                               Title:


                               BANQUE PARIBAS
                               By ________________________
                               Title:


                               By ________________________
                               Title:


                               THE BOATMEN'S NATIONAL BANK
                               OF ST. LOUIS  


                               By ________________________
                               Title:


                               CIBC INC.


                               By ________________________
                               Title:


                               DEUTSCHE BANK AG
                               CHICAGO AND/OR CAYMAN ISLANDS 
                               BRANCHES


                               By ________________________
                               Title:


                               By ________________________ 
                               Title:


                               THE FUJI BANK, LIMITED


                               By ________________________
                               Title:


                               MELLON BANK, N.A.


                               By ________________________
                               Title:


                               SOCIETE GENERALE, CHICAGO
                               BRANCH


                               By ________________________
                               Title:


                               THE SUMITOMO BANK, LTD.


                               By ________________________
                               Title:


                               UNION BANK OF SWITZERLAND,
                               NEW YORK BRANCH


                               By ________________________
                               Title:
                               By ________________________
                               Title:


                               YASUDA TRUST & BANKING CO.,
                               LTD. CHICAGO BRANCH


                               By ________________________ 
                               Title: