The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-04-14

Ut. II. u. squlpD, Oh brooklyn, New
York, who has earned an almost unique
reputation as q compounder OF Pharma-
ceutical preparations Of exceptional puri.
ty, has lately submitted to the Medical
Society of the State OF New York, the
rough draft ofa proposed law ito prevent
the ad~ulteration Of food and medicine and
to create q State Board Of Health" DR..
adduces some very impressive
facts in proof Of the need Of such q law as
is proposed. He estimatesthat the cost Of
a State Board Of Health Of the kind de-
scribed in his bill will be about $4,000 a
year for New York, without trusting to
fines or emoluments to reimburse any
part Of such cost" At the same time, "by
a very rough estimate, based on the manu-
featuring and mercantile interests Of the
State, the lossesto the population through
practices Of carelessness and adultera-
ton, through non-competition and greed
for money-making which such q
law is intended to check and
finally prevent, cannot be less than
100000 per annum, though probably
much more. Then, assuming the popula-
ton Of the State at FIVE millions, ~(recently
given as 1905, 900, the loss per capita per
annum cannot beless than fourteen cents"
The basis for this calculation is given in a
categorical form by DR.. squibb, and shows
how closely he has examined into the sub.
ject in all its scope. He judges Of the ex-
tent Of the authorizations practiced as only
an intelligent, observant expert could
first, by the quantity OF terra alba and
other substances used only for purposes OF
~adulteration which is imported; next, the
testimony on record taken before the
Commissioner Of Internal Revenue) in re-
gard to the quantities Of alcohol used in
the manufacture OF artificial wines and
liquors. Other elements upon which
Dr.. Squibb bases his calculations are
the amount Of "faced," damaged, or
"doctored" tea sold in the common
markets; tue amount sold ofdamaged and
inferior grain; the quality OF a large pro-
portion OF the bread, milk butter, and
cheese soldi in the markets; the offal fats
used in the manufacture Of oleomargarine
and lard; the amount OF artificial and
~adulterated spices and condiments, Of dilu.
ted and doctored syrups; yinegars &C.,
made from improper materials; Of adul.
.terated ground coffee and wet and dirty
sugars sold, together with the large import
trade in low grades of drugs, such as rhu-
barb, jalap and other cheap crude materi-
ais, used chiefly for powdering and adul-
.terating better grades, and finally the large
amount OF articles OF food and medicine
sold below the cost Of production from
fair materials. An expert like DR.. Squibb
can make a very fair estimate from such
data rs these.
One great iniquity Of adulteration is that
its worst evils fall upon the poor and
needy. The wealthy aud educated classes
suffer least from adulteration because
they pay high prices for their supplies
from good sources" while the poor must
buy in small quantities and at the cheap
est shops. The various sorts Of adultera-
ton practiced are endless, but DR.. Squibb
makes q rough grouping OF them into
classes, which serves for purposes Of COM
parison well enough. Thus he would have
the law prohibit and punish the issue OF
any compoundwhiCh contains any poison
Gus or hurtful ingredients not publicly
stated and professed by the label at
tached to the compound when offered
for sale, as, for example, alum in baking
powder, lead in cosmetics, powerful
drugs in patent medicines, The OF.
tense OF adulteration shall consist either
In the adding Of one or more substances to
another or others, whereby the strength,
purity, quality or true value Of the result.
ing substance or mixture is reduced, as,
for instance, corn meal in flour, chicory In
coffee. terra alba in cream Of tartar, for.
eisn substances in powdered opium, &c.
the substitution OF n substance for an.
other with the effect Of deception, as In the
case OF artificial wines and liquors, artifi'
ciaI mustard, fictitious drugs, &C., the
abstraction OF any part OF any substance,
Thereby reducing It's true value, as taking
cream from milk, the sale OF exhausted
teas and coffees, &c. applying the name
OF genuine substances for spurious ones, q
10 put o~leomargRrine for butter, potato
starch for arrow.root, dead oil for carboliC
acid, &C., the addition ofimpurities to sub,
stances in unusual proportion, or the id
mixture Of different qualities Of the SAINT
substanecs for purposes Of deception
or fraud, or tho Iebasement or dilu,
Ition Of articles Of commerce, tIol
their artificial coloring, polishing o.
the like for the purpose Of ~concealinl
damage. In the Legislation proposed bS
Dr. Sduibb he seeks to avoid the error
and failures OF the British law, and 4
meet the great difficulties nthe way o
Legislation upon such subjects that are in
seperable from our system. Tile pepalt,
for adulteration Is o fine for the first ol
tense, but all subsequent ones 10 be mis-
Iiameanors, punishable by Imprisonment
The State Hoard Of Health Is to see tina
the law Is properly executed, anu Ii to b
constituted for that express pprpose, pl
Sduibb holding that the middle and p
classesgwho suffer the most by adultera
lions, are the least able to prosecute as In
diyidnals, to employ experts, or to carr
cases OF adulteration up TO the highe
!. courts when appealed, The facts so;carI
carefully elaborated and set forth by D.
: ISauibb, In his pamphlet, published b
kInakaa-aa anaan1 fhafe uRNannunIa Afan,