BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1901-06-25
The Work O ul1 Board Of Health.
The Chemical Laboratory.

Editors Of the BoLETIN MERCANTIL.
Gentterme:
The following brief description of the
object and work Of the Chemical Laboratory
of the Superior Board Health of Puerto
Rico one Ut q matter that should at least
he is general intereser. | trust you may
tiod the convenient to pueblish 1t the in the
BoLETIN MERCANTIL for the Information
Of tIe public Ia general.
Purpose Of the Laboratory.
The Laboratory was established in July
1900 for the purpose of enabling thnse
charged inter the maintenance of the Pu-
bills Health to exercise such /. supervision
over the food supply of Puerto Rico as
nauld guard against the importation into
and III tLnfacture in the Island Of food
containing is part on wholly, ingredien's
pre- judicial to health. on ir terror to on DIFF
frrng in any respect from work it purpost
ed to be.
Resume Of ,chat done hithesto.
Besides duly examination for some
mouths of the water supple by the
toqneducr a mor- de allied eAami alton has
beeu made of probably 80 to 40 of the
ClSterns water Of San Juan, tue r. SUITS of
his latter investigation showing this water
he almost without exception, unfit for
use.
The acqueduct wa'en, on the othen hand,
was fturi % Ge OF very fair quality by
far the greater part of the work however,
| mas consisted of Investigations fDr the pur
pose OF detecting adulrtraI'Ou i'll f.Od. Up
70 the present time five hundred and thiry
| two (J32l diiierent articles have been exa.
miGed consisting of fl ,ur, MIX butteD,
ard, wine, vinegar confectionery Oning t.
certain defects TO the :" Pure Food" tow as
Originally drapted, and repeated changer
the p RS ntl of tie Department OF JUS
tice, the number If prnsecunons fo- viola
! ons OF la1t have been mucn less than he
facts warranted nut a notable advance has
| erenth, been made in this direction and
4 is though thai IN the future SPEEDY mea.
suites Tor imposing suitable ruushmentS
upon VIC alton If the " Pure Food = Law,
! WI he put INTO immediate operation.
| Desire TOR the Cooperation Of TIE publis.
l. hes alrea,s been The desire OF those
charged with the management Of this La
| DoratCry to impress upon the public at
| large the fact that the work done here was
for It's sole object of the protection AMI i'm
provemtnt OF the public h, alth, and they
" NEST cordially y " Invite" tbe acflye COO.
perAt.On in this wash Of call citizens" in.
/ leres'ed is the welfare of the Island
The Director of the Laboratory will he
delighted to receive at any time visits at
| the Laboratory FROM those interested is the
g and will latke the greatest pleasure In
explaining The methods" "
4 :! Sntcfal IuVttatIou y ia oytaO1e Il m oil
dealers Is food sntfS to visit the laboratory
tor it is especially desired to persuade all
such that whatever is done is the way of
food investigation is in the interest of g all
deSer US of supplying their customers with
superior food"
Furthermore, any one haveng reason to
suspect the character of any article of food
used, may have the same examined abso-
utrly tree If cOrstS" by sending properly
madel sample Of the artide to DR. VIM f.
Smith. Flrtale2a No. San Juan Porto
X co.
Any legal proceeding based on informa-
non SO acquired "wlil not envoive IN the
slightest degrtr" ne intorment, but will Le
uatt-r aliog her pelueen the Superior Board
Of Health and the vendor of the article
la question.
Ihe work of th S laboratory will never
attain lis maximum efficiency without the
acnve cooperation of the public at large
and i Is most earnestly hoped that "al
cltIzens" " wall consider such operation not
only as a privilege offered them, buG as
a duty Incumbent upon them
Very respectfully,
Wm n Berkeley.
Director Of The Chemical Laboratory of the
SCperior Board # Health Of Puerto Il 60.