The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-12-21
SAFEGUARDING FOODS.
Results of Examinations Conducted By
Federal Government.

federdi boFtInHcnt'
In the enforcement of the food and
drugs act during the last year, L. ;. de-
partment of agriculture officials analysed
| 30, 1913 samples of foods and drugs offered
for interstate shipment and for import.
A physical examination was made oil
samples from 76,i6s shipments offered
for import, OF these foreign shipments
$3.50 were found TO violate the law IN
some respects and were either excluded
| from the country or admitted only after
! the importers had relabeled them TO
comply with the law. OF the samples oil
domestic products analysed $685., either
| because of the nature OF the product or
| because the label on it did not tell the
truth, were found to be in violation oil
| the federal law, In 1864 cases the de-
partment recommended to the depart
ment of Justice that criminal prosecution
| be instituted against the manufacturers
or that the goods be seized. In many
cases where there was no evidence OF in
! tentinn to defraud, and where there was
merely some easily remcded flaw in the
wording of label, the shippers, after be-
ing warned in hearings, voluntarily took
steps which made their products fully
comply with the requirements. In all,
there were held Sis such hearings,
many Of which resulted in the proseeu-
tions indicated and the gathering of evi.
dence for large number OF additional
cases, which will be forwarded to the de-
partment of justice.
The bureau OF chemistry, in its an
nual report, also calls attention to the
| fact that through the system of service
and regulatory announcements now IN
use. manufacturers are given due notice
of the requirements and thus are enabled
voluntarily to make their products con-
form to the law. In this way the gov
eminent achieves its purpose, frequently
without entering into needless and very
expensive litigation.
In the regulatory work, special empha-
sis has been given to the control of drug
products and foods liable to spoilage
and pollution. These frequently con
stitute serious menace TO health, Inc
food inspectors have been instructed TO
be particularly watchful for interstate
shipments of bad eggs, milk, oysters and
spoiled canned goods, and false and
fraudulently labeled medicines and spu-
rious, synthetic drugs.
Curbing Fraudulent Medicines.
Attempts to counterfeit or adulterate
imported drugs have been more common
since the recent high price and scarcity
of many of these products encouraged
their imitation. 1t is interesting to note
that of the ,036 cases terminated in the
courts during the year, l9S were brought
on account of the false and fraudulent
labelling of medicines. In all of these
medical cases, save five, the courts found
for the government, and this it is be.
lieved. has exercised an important deter
rent effect on the vendors OF nostrums
shipped from one state TO another.
The work of controlling the fraudulent
labels of medicines and mineral waters
has been greatly strengthened by the
establishment of separate office to deal
with these matters. At the request OF
the secretary of agriculture an officer OF
the L. S. public health service has been
detailed to take charge Of this work.
Moreover, through the close eo-opera-
ton ests blished with the foods and drugs
officials of many Of the states, the de-
partment waS able to direct the atten-
ton of theflocal authorities to the pres
ence of spurious drugs in their states
and, as a result, much of these fraudu-
lent goods in the hands OF local dealers
and beyond the reach of the federal au.
thorities were destroyed by state and
municipal officers who, in many cases,
prosecuted those responsible for the local
traffic.
Milk, Eggs and Oysters.
The cooperation in the sanitary CON
troll of the milk supply of small cities
described in the report for last year has
been extended in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri,
Kansas, Nebraska and in New England.
1t is proposed to repeat this work year
after year, extending it each year to new
territory. In some localities bad condl-