The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-08-16
EXPERTS REPORT
RESULT OF PURE
FOOD ANALYSIS
GOffeeS Found Adulterated and
Not of Standard AdVer-
tiSed.

Part w of the Report for 1915 of
the Connecticut Agricultural Expert
ment Station records the results of
the examinations of foods and drugs
in the year 1916. 1869 samples were
analysed, of which 1892 were adulter-
ated, misbranded or below standard
exclusive of proprietary medicines).
Six so-called "hygienic" coffees were
examined, all claiming low caffeine
content. Last year Kaffee Hag, and
this year Dekofa, were, the only
brands found in which the caffeine
had been largely eliminated.
twenty-five analyses of "diabetic"
foods bring the important and author
itative work of the Station on this
subject strictly up to date, it's records
now containing analyses of practically
every food of this character offered
in the American market.
Both the sweetened and the I'M
sweetened varieties of condensed milk
were inspected. All but Of the 40
brands satisfied the official standards.
Attention is called to the misleading
directions given by many manufactur-
ers for the use of their condensed
milk in infant feeding. A strict COM
plance with the directions in most in
stances gives feeding mixture great
ly deficient in protein and fat, and
totally inadequate for the growing
child.
For the first time in nine years the
Station made general inspection of
ground spices. With the exception of
cayenne pepper the samples showed a
high degree of purity. The gross
adulterations formerly so. prevalent
are practically non-existent in the
spices sold in Connecticut to-day.
The drug work of the Station dur
ing the past year was confined chief
ly to an examination CT drugs taken
from the stock of dispensing physi-
clans and to continuation of its
important work in the analysis of
proprietary remedies.
The examination of physicians
drugs is, we believe, the first of the
kind made in this country, and the
results are very satisfactory, as the
number of substandard samples found
was very small. On the other hand
the drugs, mostly in tablet or pilular
form, showed wider varietions in the
composition of the individual tablets
than should be the case if the claim
that tablets afford uniform dosage
and medication" Is to maintain. In
nearly half of the deterfa4natiens ethe
variation from the clatrn aanaounted
| to over 10 per cent. In 0ne-thirds over
Is per cent, in one-fourth over rs
per cent, which in two cases the max
| imum variations amounted to 81 and
| IS per cent
| Thfrty-eight new analyses bring the
number of proprietary remedies an
alysed by the Station up to about 400
4 r-4xv rye<v-xr
structive summary of this work, list
ing all the remedies found to contain
habitforming. dangerous or poison
| GUS drugs.
| Partly because of the nature of the
remedies examined. and partly be
| cause there has been an actual i'm
provement in the ingredients used il
| such remedies during the past few
years, only a few dangerous drugs
| (other than .alcohoD were found II
the medicines this year, namely, py
rogallo1 and corrosive ,sublimate eacf
once and strychnine three times.
The remedies examined this year
however, include some outrageously
fraudulent preparations. Remedies
i for female disorders depending chief
ly upon their alcoholic content, {
'hair curler' composed of washing
I soda and gum, dangerous kidney rem
edies, constipation remedies abound
\ ing in cathartics (whose presence il
often disclaimed), "cure-alls (whos'
chief medicament is a mixture o
simple, well-known laxatives), fax
i flesh producers, nerve remedies. germ
i destroyers and vitality restorers, ar
found in the list.
i Copies of this report may be OBJ
--%r-
4 dressing the Connecticut Agriculture
Experiment Station, Drawer 1, New
| Haven.