No. 6. DEBARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 27 



the danger of its being for other than the legitimate purpose, i. e., 



to conceal incipient putrefaction, and to enahle stale goods to he palmed 

 off as fresh."' 



Theposition occupied by the Department of Agriculture in this State 

 is perfectly clear, and altogether just, both to the public and the man- 

 ufacturer and dealer. 



After a most careful investigation of the entire subject of food pre- 

 servatives, the Department last summer prepared and published a set 

 of rulings, one of which is the following declaration, relating to pre- 

 servatives in food, known as Rule 12: Articles of food that can he 

 prepared hy the use of improved processes, so as to preserve them from 

 decay and change, shall have no preservatives added, other than salt, 

 syrup, sugar, saltpetre, spices, vinegar and wood S7noke." 



This rule requires that a manufacturer who wishes to use a pre- 

 servative other than those indicated, shall first show that the article 

 to be preserved cannot be kept without the use of a preservative; and 

 he must then show, that the particular preservative which he pro- 

 poses to use, is not injurious to the public health. He must show, not 

 simply that it has no appreciable injurious effect upon a healthy and 

 vigorous man, but that it has no harmful effect upon delicate diges- 

 tion, in either adult or infant. The importance of the public health 

 is paramount. The legal maxim is as true to-day, as in the age when 

 first announced: ^''That the safety of the people is the supreme laic.'''' 

 "In default of law the maxim rules." 



If drugs are to be administered, their prescription should be con- 

 fined to skilled physicians, who administer them for specific purposes, 

 and discontinue their use as soon as these purposes are accomplished. 

 But for butchers and bakers, canners and packers, grocerymen and 

 dairymen to assume such responsibility, and indiscriminately dose 

 their unsuspecting customers with harmful chemicals, to the jeop- 

 ardy of health, ought not to be tolerated. 



DIVISION OF ECONOMIC ZOOLOGY 



The work of this Division, during the year, is summed up by the 

 Economic Zoologist, whose statement is presented in full, in another 

 part of this report. 



The field embraced by this Division is enlarging each year, and the 

 necessity for expert investigation, in the discovering and application 



