Smyrna times., 1881-02-02
Adulteration Of Food and Drugs.

Inc National Board OF Trade has a
memorial before Congress praying for the
passage of bill drafted by committee
of the Board, to prevent the adulteration
of food and drugs. The bill appears to
be based on the provision in the Constitu-
ton giving Congress power to regulate
foreign and interstate commerce, for Its
penalties only apply to persons who know
ingly transport or cause to be transported
adulterated articles from foreign countries
to the United States to another. Thus
its scope is considerably limited. 1t
would not prevent the manufacture of
adulterated articles or their sale within
the. borders of the State where they are
made. The enforcement of the provi-
slons of the bill is placed in the hands of
the National Board of Health, which is
authorized to make examination of speci-
mems of food and drugs collected under
its direction in various parts of the
country, and to publish in its weekly bull
letin the results of such analyses When
it appears from such examination that any
of the provisions of the law have been
violated, the Secretary of the Board is to
report the facts to the proper United
States District Attorney, with a copy of
the results of the analyses duly authenti-
Gated by the analyst under oath, and the
Attorney is to prosecute the offender.
The bill does not go far enough. 1t
may fairly be questioned whether the
whole matter of exercising control over
the quality of articles of food, drink and
medicine should not be left to the States,
but if it is to be assumed by the General
Government no half way work should be
made of it. The laws should strike
squarely at the manufacture and sale of
fraudulent and injurious articles, and not
endeayor to cure the evil by the rounda-
bout way of prohibiting the transporta-
ton of such across State and National
frontier lines. With the present tendency
to broad interpretations of the Constitu-
ton, authority could probably be tonnd
for thorough and tar-reaching measure
in what is known as the "general welfare"
clause. The proper enforcement of such
alaw would require new official machinery.
A sort of analytical bureau with force
of inspectors and chemists would be
needed at Washington, and number of
special agents would have to be employed
to gather samples of suspected articles.
Perhaps the evil is great enough to re-
quire the strong remedy Of Federal in
reference. 1t is PROFESSIONALLY greater
in this country than it was in England
when Tennyson wrote that "the spirit of
murder turks in the very means of life,' -
and described the druggist as one who
''pestles a poisoned poison behind his
crimson lights" Acts of Parliament
have greatly restricted the business of
adulteration since ''Maud" was written.
In this country something has been done
in the same direction by State Legislation,
but most of such legislation is defective
in failing to provide the means for its
efficient enforcement The question to
be decided in advance of the discussion of
such a measure as is now proposed by
the National Board of Trade, with the
approval of the National Board of Health,
is whether Congress should touch the
matter at all If this question is de-
termined in the affirmative, then let us by
all means have a thorough, vigorous
measure, which will strike hard at the
root of the evil.-N. Y. Tribune.