BUREAU OF CHEMISTRY. 195 



and determination of zinc, copper, and iron in the presence of ar- 

 senic, and studies of the ash and acidity of vanilla extracts have been 

 published. 



Studies were made of the determination of lead in baking powder, 

 of the Kjeldahl method of determining nitrogen, of the determina- 

 tion of arsenic and tin in canned goods, of the determination of 

 moisture in foods, of mercury in surgical dressings, of pepsin in 

 chewing gum, of ethyl nitrite in sweet spirits of niter, of lime in 

 butter made from limed cream, and of citric acid in the presence of 

 other organic acids. New methods for the analysis of vinegars and 

 of aromatic spirits of ammonia were under consideration. 



REGULATION. 



DoiMESTic FOODS AND DRUGS. — The reorganization of the bureau's 

 field service into three districts, outlined in the bureau's report for 

 the year ended June 30, 1914, resulted in more efficient inspection of 

 foods and drugs moving in interstate and foreign commerce and in 

 more sj^stematic action in the administration of the Federal food 

 and drugs act. 



Special attention was given during the year to interstate traffic in 

 adulterated pepper. Pepper shells have been imported in large quan- 

 tities and utilized as an adulterant for ground whole pepper. The 

 distribution of the shells was investigated, factories were inspected, 

 and many samples of the raw and the finished product were analyzed. 

 Through the collection and analysis of products of particular manu- 

 facturers over a considerable period of time it appeared in many 

 cases that the adulteration was deliberate and extensive and not an 

 accident or due to a single instance of carelessness. Seizures of a 

 very considerable niunber of interstate deliveries brought forth 

 assurances that mixtures of pepper and pepper shells will hereafter 

 not be sold merely as pepper, but if sold at all will be truthfully 

 described on the label. 



Adulteration of oats by the deliberate addition of barley, weed 

 seeds, or water also was iuA'-esti gated. A large number of consign- 

 ments were seized, with the result that the practice has been largely 

 discontinued. 



An extensive investigation was made of the coffee trade. It was 

 found that certain merchants were mixing sliipments of high-grade 

 coffee with cheaper and inferior brands, and shipping and selling the 

 mixture to the trade throughout the country as coffees of the higher 

 and more expensive grades. After considerable inspection work, the 

 practice, which was widespread and successful because of the in- 

 ability of the vendee ordinarily to determine for himself the actual 

 grades of coffee, has been largely corrected. 



Among the many forms of adulteration of foods that have re- 

 ceived special attention are the adulteration of canned tomatoes with 

 water, of dried apples with water, and of cider vinegar with dis- 

 tilled vinegar; the canning of decomposed cull beans; and the 

 manipulation of smutty barley by liming. 



In cooperation with the Bureau of Standards, extensive experi- 

 ments were undertaken with a view to establishing special "toler- 

 ances and reasonable variations" under the net-weight amendment 



