Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-01-01
BUREAU REPORT SHOWS WHAT HIS BEEN
BEEN DONE IN 10 YEARS UNDER DRUGS ACT

Zen years of enforcement of the
food and drugs act of June 30, 1906,
are reviewed in the current annual
report of the bureau of chemistry.
United States department of agricul-
ture, which says that the acts chief
contributions to the safety of the peo-
pies health have been its corrective
effect upon the drug and patent medi-
cine industry, its control of trade in
unclean milk, polluted, decomposed or
nllthy foods, and protection of food
stu1s from contamination with pois-
ons likely to be met in manufacture.
The general effect of the food and
drugs act may best be estimated, says
the report, by considering its effect
upon food and drug control by the
states; upon development of the food
and drug industries and by the prin-
cipal abuses that have been corrected.
But to illustrate the scope of the work
through figures and facts the report
points out that more than 5000 pros
ecrtions have terminated in the courts
III the first decade of the act; that
manufacturers have been cited at
hearings more than 10000 times, and
many thousands of factory inspections
have been made. and that more than
100000 shipments of domestic or i'm
ported food and drugs have been ex-
amined.
| Special attention has been given to
shipments of polluted or spoiled food
Milk shipped in interstate commerce
and imported from Canada has been
improved in cleanliness, purity, and
the condition Of sanitation under
which produced The canning of de-
composed navy beans has been large
ly suppressed. Interstate shipment of
oysters from polluted waters has prac-
tically ceased. Because of cooperation
with state and municipal officials in
controlling the shipment of bad eggs,
it is reported that the quality Of The
/ eggs reaching the large cities is much
improved. Other products in whose
handling and sale improvement has
been noted include mineral water, to-
mato products, fruit, vinegar and gel
attn
One consequence CT the enactment
OF the food and drugs act was TO en-
courage similar legislation il many Of
the states the purpose CT which is 20
control local traffic r food and drugs
which, since no interstate commerce
is involved. are not subject to the fed
eral law For example, in 1906, many
states had 10 feeding stIffs laws. A
state could not prosecute maIufae-
turer unless he were citizen Of .ha;
state. The federal law supplements
tae state law n his respect and now
most Of the states have similar laws.
In the beginning the confusion and
apparent conflict between local anu
federal laws and administration Of
laws not only made It difficult for the
two sets of officials &c cooperate, 5u;
often 1t made necessary for man1fac-
.lrers to make special preparations
for shipment to certain states at extra
cost, tie extra cost being passed on &C
he ultimate consumer. This evil has
been remedied 20 considerable eX-
tent by the organization of two agen-
! c.es which n large measure have
removed some of ;he difficulties arts
ling from the conflict Of federal anG
/ state iufisdietioTl These agencies are
, ID the joint committee on definitions
and standards, and (2) the Office of CO.