72 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



jected to the test, as well as the cheaper and inferior brands of 

 y;oods, and a general examination will be continued until entirely 

 reliable and trustworthy conclusions may be reached. Wood alco- 

 hol w^as not found in the majority of samples. 



Prof. O. B. Cochran, chemist, in a recent report to the Commis- 

 sioner, declared that so far as his investigations extended, all 

 of the whiskey bottled in bond and bearing the Government stamp 

 was found pure. Other whiskeys are pure when taken out of bond; 

 some of them are afterward subjected to manipulation, and in such 

 goods there are occasionally found traces of wood alcohol, glycerine, 

 red pepper and coloring matter. Eminent authorities declare that 

 hundreds of the unfortunate classes who inhabit insane hospitals 

 and asylums for inebriates, were brought to their terrible mental 

 and physical conditions not alone through the excessive use of 

 liquor; but that the vile and poisonous adulterants contained in the 

 liquor were in a large degree responsible for the evil eifects pro- 

 duced. The bad effects of the continued use of alcoholic liquors, 

 both upon mind and bod}', are in themselves a sutiicient evil, and 

 .when to this is added the destructive influence of such drugs and 

 poisons as are frequently used in compounding and adulterating 

 such beverages the limits of toleration are passed. Legislation ade- 

 quate to stop the nefarious practices of those engaged in the manu- 

 facture, distribution or sale of adulterated liquors, who recklessly 

 sacrifice the mental and physical well-being of their confiding cus- 

 tomers, for the sake of increasing their revenues, cannot be too 

 speedily adopted. 



OLEOMARGARINE AND RENOVATED BUTTER. 



The enforcement of the laws enacted to regulate the manufac- 

 ture and sale of oleomargarine and renovated or '^process" butter 

 in Pennsylvania has received due attention at the hands of the 

 Commissioner. The financial statement incorporated into this 

 brief resume of the work performed shows, in a measure, what 

 has been accomplished in the interest of these two important acts 

 of Assembly. The amounts collected from license fees for the 

 manufacture and sale of oleomargarine and renovated butter show 

 very clearly that the laws are being enforced, and that the sale of 

 these substitutes for the genuine product of the American dairy cow 

 has not decreased. 



DAIRYING INTERESTS. 



The following ({notation from a circular letter issued by this 

 Division is respectfully submitted, as it gives, although in a con- 

 densed form, some idea of the importance of the interests to be pro- 

 tected: 



