120 THIRTY-FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE 



the possible exception of some kinds of meats and beer intended for 

 export to tropical countries. The agencies of heat and cold are the 

 natural preservatives. Refrigeration, pasteurization and sterilization 

 will do the work without risking human life. Dr. Wiley has begun the 

 work which must be done to make a complete demonstration of the 

 effect of preservatives in food. He systematically fed a number of 

 young men for several months upon food which each day contained a 

 quantity of boracic acid. The results have not been announced. They 

 cannot be conclusive until experiments have been performed with 

 invalids and children. Health and strength can resist and throw off 

 poisons. Weakness and sickness invite their ill effects. The poisoned 

 milk which would kill a baby might fatten a healthy man. 



The public health would not suffer if antiseptics in food were wholly 

 barred. Commercial and trade interests are thoroughly alive to this 

 part of the pure food question and to a considerable extent will fight 

 for the right to use preservatives. State and Federal law should pro- 

 hibit their use except in the cases indicated. 



With no restriction of law, the honest producer and the honest con- 

 sumer would be at the mercy of the dishonest scoundrels who trifle with 

 the public health, corrupt the channels of trade and rob the people. If 

 all the States would pass stringent pure food laws and enforce them 

 there would be little need of national legislation. But strong laws and 

 vigorous enforcement are the exception and not the rule. The State 

 laws vary in text, and when alike are subject to different interpretations 

 by the different officers who administer them. Wisconsin, Minnesota, 

 Michigan and Illinois have practically the same laws upon this subject, 

 but the rulings and practices of the different food commissioners vary 

 to such an extent that some of the wholesale houses in Chicago which 

 deal in food products have their goods sorted and different sections of 

 their stores labeled: "These can go to Wisconsin," "These can go to 

 Michigan," or "These can go to Minnesota," as the case might be. 



The States where these laws are administered suffer constantly from 

 the indifference or inefficiency of their neighbors. The city of Chicago 

 floods the northwest with adulterated foods. That enterprising town can 

 make more pure Vermont maple syrup in a week than the State of 

 Vermont can make in a year. It can produce as much imitation butter 

 in a year as is sold of the pure article from all the cows of New England. 

 A national pure food law would stop interstate commerce in adul- 

 terated foods. It would do this if properly drawn and administered. 

 With a strong national act in operation the States would be protected 

 from the flood of adulterated goods from other States and could easily 

 take care of their domestic manufacturers. As it is now, a food com- 

 missioner finds a retailer selling a prohibited food product. The retailer 

 is arrested and fined. He may be absolutely innocent of any inten- 

 tional wrong. He may have bought the goods of the manufacturer in 

 perfect good faith, but the manufacturer, who is the real offender, lives 

 outside the State and is beyond reach. It seems harsh, but the retailer 



