The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1906-07-12
A CHANCE FOR PURE FOOD.

features of the Senate and House
measures, and eliminates most of
the loopholes to which objection
has properly been made. The
House provision is adopted adding
cocaine, heroin, chloroform, chic
raj hydrate aCetanilid and some
other substances to the Senate's
J list of ingredients of remedies the
quantities of which must be stated
OH the label. As the Senate re-
quired this statement only con-
corning alcohol and opium and its
derivatives, great improvement
i'll the bill passed as a safeguard
against the stimulation of drug
habits is evident. At the same
time the House amendment which,
while making this advance, left
open the door to the use of alCo-
hol in patent medicines by allow
ing it to be present without decla-
ration in the quantities regularly
prescribed as a sol, ent or preserv-
ative is eliminated. After this
legislation becomes effective,
therefore, the use of these drugs
even in the minutest quantity in
patent medicines must be made
public.
All drugs, under this law, must
conform to the standard Of the
Pharmacop9ia or else be plainly
labelled as of q different standard,
and they will be regarded as mis-
branded if any statement concern
ing their character is false. Food
products will also be considered as
misbranded if any false statement
is made upon the package as to
their character or place of origin.
or any misstatement as to their
weight Some criticism has been
made Of the elimination from the
act of the House provision that the
Secretary of Agriculture should
determine standards for various
articles, and that on application of
the manufacturer an article COM
plying with the standard might
bear the label, Omitted States
Standard" We doubt, however,
if this is really a disadvantage.
The act itself prescribes the stand
ards and calls upon the Depart
ment of Agriculture to make an
alyses and order the prosecution of
all who fail to observe the law.
The SeCretary's standards con-
cerning the use of preset natives in
food might be made the excuse for
evading the law Likewise his
brand might be used as the beef
inspection label has been used, for
advertising purposes, though the
goods manufactured for the market
were inferior to the samples sub
mitted for inspection. Anyhow,
the validity Of the standards set by
the Secretary Of Agriculture would
have to be tried out in the courts,
and it is probably just as we'll to
60 back to the law itself for the
standards.
1.-THE provisions of this law are
strictly enforced it should prove
adequate to stop at least the great
bulk of the adulteration of foods
and drugs. The chief anxiety of
those who hope for relief from the
deceit which faces them at every
turn and makes them almost de-
spair of getting what they pay for
is lest the act be not adequately
enforced. Public opinion should
be awake on this subject to sup
port the Department of Agricul-
ture in its investigations and to in
sist that retail dealers shall 50 far
as possible safeguard their patrons
and refuse to handle goods con-
corning which there is any doubt.
With a good law to back him the
consumer can do a great deal to
put down the evils of adulteration.
If he is not interested, the COM
plants of the chemist are likely
to receive only perfunctory atten-
ton from prosecuting officers.
Troenacs No%;co