The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1914-06-11

above all, readable.
Organization of the Department and
The Laws it EnfOrces.
The Food and Drugs Department
of Tennessee was organized in pur-
suance of Chapter 297, Acts of 1907
which took effect January |, 1908. AT
that time the appropriation was very
meagre indeed. There was a small
appropriation for the Laboratory and
for running expenses, besides the sal
months the Department was run il
a room set apart in the private lab.
)ratory of the Commissioner, who
lad been for some years a practicina
chemist in Nashville. The Lcgisla.
.ure of 1909 added to the Department
mother Chemist, who was badly
needed; it also added to its duties
Food Law In 1911 there were GER
tain much needed amendments made
TO the Food and Drugs Act and more
iuties put on the Department, in the
shape OF the law governing the fire
protection and sanitation of hotels.
Two field inspectors were addad tC
is force. The Legislature of 1918
vas liberal to the Department in
giving four additional field inspectors
ind an Office force of two persons.
)ut they were almost as liberal with
iutles,because they put upon the de-
partment the enforcement of the
very fmportment Weights and Meas
Tres Law. The appropriation now
S at figure at which the department
can do considerable work, and make
this work we want to ask the CO.
operation of every citizen of the
state, who values his health and
comfort and that of his family.
Vhen anything is noticed which it
IS our duty to correct, write us. We
can't be everywhere at once, though
. o. cur lest To that end So We
sometimes need our friends to tell
us of troubles.
The Food and Drugs Act Of
Tennessee.
The Food and Drugs Act of this
State prohibits adding to the food
deleterious ingredients, and likewise
ehlorces the sale of such materials
ioI what tney are. In otser words
IL prevents the addition to them not
only OF materials which arasAarmful
put OF those which are useless. and
Ihe addition of which unduly cbeap-
ems the product without notice TO the
consumer. 1t conserves public health
by insuring the purity of foods CON
conserves public morality by MAILING
manufacturers tel the truth abouf
their goods, and helps to- keen down
the cost of living by insuring to al
Iods the nutritive effect which he
longs to them. The consumers mock
ct is protected by it because if nre-
vents the sale of adulterated stuff at
tne price OF pure foods. Although
not Its primary object, it has afforded
TO the honest merchant the greatest
protection of any recent legislation
because it has brought out from
unoef cover the rottenness of dis
lohest gooGs, SO that merchants now
KNOW the exact character of goods
sofa by competitors. In this way il
mas given stability TO the food trades.
ana minimizing the effects of trick
cry. Finally it has been one of the
legislative agencies invoked in that
hght Tor justice to the common peo-
pie and for thebetteri conditions of
ll1e, which has attained such consid-
erable dimensions in the last decade
but in which so much more still re-
mai to be do~N.
various phases Of the enforcement
of this law will be treated in detail
such as a consideration Of the iudi-
Eidual foods and drugs how they are
made, and how they are adulterated
Hot weather Tome and Health Builder.