South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-01-14

OnlleO states department or agrt-
culture officials analysed 2s,S33
samples OF foods and drugs offered
for interstate shipment and for i'm
port. a physical examination was
made OF samples from 76,46S ship
ments 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 sam
pies OF domestic products analyzed.
$685.. either because OF the nature
OF the product or because the label
on IL did rot tell the truth. were
found TO be in violation of the fed
eral law. In 1864 cases the de-
partment recommended to the de-
partment 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 intention TO de-
fraud, and where there was mere
ly some easily remedied flaw in the
wording OF a label. the shippers, aft
er being warned in hearings, vol
UNFAIRLY 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 prosecutions
indicated and the ga ering OF evil
dence for a large number Of addi-
uonal cases. which will be forward
ed to the department of justice.
The bureau OF chemistry, in its
annual report. also calls attention
TO the fact that through the sys-
tenn of service and regulatory an
nouncements now in use, manufac-
turers are given due notice Of the
requirements and thus are enabled
voluntarily TO make their products
conform TO the law. In this way
the government achieves its pur-
pose, frequently without entering
into needless and very expensive
litigation.
In the regulatory work. special
! emphasis has been given 10 the
control of drug products and foods
liable TO spOilage and pollution.
/ These frequently constitute a seri-
Gus menace TO health. The food
inspectors have been instructed to
be particularly watchful for inter-
state shipments Of bad eggs, milk.
oysters and spoiled canned goods.
and false and fradulently labeled
! medicines and spurious, synthetic
drugs.
Curbing Fraudulent Medicines.
Attempts to counterfeit or adult
crate imported drugs have been
more common since the recent high
| price and scarcity OF many of these
I products encouraged their imitation
IL is interesting to note that OF the
! 1886 cases terminated in the courts
/ during the year. I9S were brought
on account of the false and fradu-
/ lent labelling of medicines In all
1 OF these medical cases, save five.
\ the courts found for the govern
/ ment, and this, II is believed has
/ exercised an important deterrent eff
feet on the vendors OF nostrums
| shipped from one state to another.
The work of controlling the
/ fraudulent labels of medicines ana
/ 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 Off
I Ger of the United States public
health service has been detailed TO
take charge OF this work More
over. through the close cooperation
/ a hlfchal b.,
| officials Of many of the states, the
! department was able TO direct the
/ attention OF the local authorities TO
I the presence of spurious drugs in
their states and, as a result, much of
/ these fraudulent goods in the hands
! OF local dealers and beyond the
/ reach of the federal authorities were
! destroyed by state and municipal Of
ficers who, in many cases prose-
cuted those responsible for the local
traffic.
/ Milk, Eggs and Oysters.
The cooperation in the sanitary
control OF the milk supply of small
cities described in the report for
last year has been extended in I'LL
nois, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Ne
braska and in New England 1t is
proposed 10 repeat this work year
after year. extending il each year
70 new territory. In some localities
bad conditions were found, due in
the main TO insufficient cooling and
careless handling. Perhaps the best
results of this work has been that
10 stimulated some OF the local an
thorities 20 take up similar work in
dependently so that definite perma-
nent Improvement OF the milk sup
ply OF a number OF cities has result
ed. The cooperative work on the
control Of the shipment Of decom-
F, posed eggs described in the report
OF last year has been extended 10
cover much OF the territory in which
shipments originate so that eggs are
now candled before shipment far
more than formerly and the spoiled
eggs destroyed or fed 70 poultry and
stock. At the same time informa-
ton given 10 local officials has help
ed them to curb local traffic in eggs
rejected in Gambling.
i The bureau % chemistry. after
making cooperative sanitary sur
Il veys OF oyster beds. issued warnings
against the interstate shipment OF
oysters from polluted and doubtful
-.