The herald., 1897-04-07
THE PURE FOOD CRUSADE

At the last session but one Oh the leg
;s,ature of this state a law relating 10
the purity of drugs and food prooucts
offered on the market was passed, and 1t
became law March 26th, 1895. -
The gist of this law is contained IN
these paragraphs:
mo person shall, within this STATE,
manufacture for sale. offer for sale, or sell
any drug or article OF food whleh Is auui
terated within the meaning of this act.
.rbe term drug as used in this act,
shall include all medicines for internal or
sIternal use. antiseptics, disinfectants. and
cosmetics. The term food as used herein,
shall include all articles used for food or
drink by man. whether simple. mixed or
compound"
In case of drugs the article comes
within the law if its name is found IN
the United States pharmacopoeia ana II
II differs from the formula laid down in
that book in strength, quality or pu-
rity." If the name is not in the work
referred to but is found in some other
recognized authority on materia medica'
then it must conform to the standard
there laid down. If not found in any
work on the subject, then it must not
fall below the standard under which 1t
is sold.
In case of food, the law proscribes its
sale
'If any substance or substances have
BEEN mixed with It. so as to lower or de-
probate, or injuriousiy affect its quality
strength, or purity. If any inferior or
cheaper substance or subs stances nave been
substituted wholly or in part for 1t. II any
valuable or necessary constituent or ingre-
dient has been wholly or In part distracted
from It, If 1t is an imitation OF, or is soic
under the name of, another article. If 1t
consists wholly or in part, of diseased
decomposed. putrid, infected, tainted. or
rotten animal or vegetable substances or
article, whether manufactured or not; or
IN the case Of milk, 10 it is the produce of a
diseased animal If it is coiored. COATED,
polished or powdered whereby damage
or inferority is conceded or If by any
means It Is made to appear better or of
greater value than II really is. If 1t con-
tains any added substance or ingredient
which is poisonous or injurious to health. !"
In San Francisco the board of health
has set out on a veritable crusade under
this new law. Upon analyses the fol-
lowing preparations have been placed
under the ban:
Currant jellies said to contain not
particle of currant juice; Martin Feu-
sier & Co.'S 25 lb. pals; New Jersey
Preserving company, Camden, N. j.,
ditto; NJ Getz & Bros. & Co., ditto;
Star Preserving company, Oneida, N
Y, ditto; Star in 2 lb. cans; Pacific
Coast Syrup company glass jars; Dick
Vondermehden, ditto; StultZ Bros. ditto;
Paragon Temescal Packing company
ditto; Cutting Packing company, lb.
cans; Alvarado Packing company ditto;
Rose, ditto.
The following currant jellies are found
to be adulterated. viz: Melrose, sold
by Wellman, Peck & Co. in glass jars;
Bernard & Densmore, ditto; Solar, sold
by William Sanford & Co., 2 h. cans;
N Goetjen, ditto; Fidelity, ditto.
The following are pronounced to be
absolute limitations: Strawberry jelly,
Royal brand, sold by Pacific Coast Syrup
company in % lb. pals, and currant
preserve, sold by Sparboro & Co. in glass
jars.
The Manufacturers and Producers as
sociation of San Francisco has called a
pure food congress to meet in that city
April 3Oth to consult about enforcing
this law all over the state. The commit
tee having the matter in hand has sent
broadcast a circular in which it is
stated:
1T has been determined to secure
representatives to said congress by ask
ing the governor of the state to appoint
| fifty delegates at large; by asking the
at least ten delegates from each of the
respective counties; by asking the may
ors of incorporated cities to appoint del
egates in proportion to their population,
and by asking boads of trade, chambers
of commerce, oranges, and other indus
trial organizations all over California
to send delegates"
This is matter of great Importance.
The greatest and most immediate c mat
| ter for. consideration is the effect on gen.
eral business, and particularly on the
| business Of Individual merchants and