20 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



The first section prohibits the manufacture or sale of adulterated 

 food, the second section defines the term "food" as used in the act, 

 and the third section provides inter alia that "an article shall be 

 deemed to be adulterated within the meaning of this act: (a) in case 

 of food * * * (7) if it contains any added substance or ingredient 

 which is poisonous or injurious to health." The defendant was in- 

 dicted for a violation of the seventh clause of the third section of 

 the act. 



The court below held that "If the foreign substance added to an 

 article of food is poisonous or injurious in any quantity, the statute 

 declares it to be an adulteration." This position was affirmed by 

 the Supreme Court in- the following lauguage: 



"We are of the opinion that the learned trial judge properly in- 

 terpreted the act of Assembly under which this iudictment was 

 drawn, and that, therefore, his rulings on the admission of testimony, 

 and his answer to points for charge, which are complained of in the 

 assignment of error, were correct." 



This decision has greatly simplified the work of the Department 

 in enforcing the Pennsylvania Food Laws. There can now be no 

 defense set up, that the quantity of the poisonous substance is so 

 small as to have no injurious effect upon health, but if it can be 

 shown that any added poisonous ingredient is present in even the 

 smallest quantity, the defendant is liable to the penalty prescribed 

 by the law. 



ACTION OF STATE MEDICAL, SOCIETY. 



Early in this yeat an invitation was received by the secretary of the 

 Department to appear before the Medical Society of the State of 

 Pennsjivania, at their annual meeting to be held in Allentown, Pa., 

 September IGth, 17th and ISth, to address them upon the subject 

 of "Food Adulteration." In presenting the subject, the fact w^as 

 brought out that there is lack of agreement in the medical profes- 

 sion, in regard to the effect upon health of certain preservatives 

 frequently found in foods. Inasmuch as this lack of unanimity of 

 opinion has been a serious embarrassment to the Department in its 

 enforcement of the laws, I take the liberty of quoting from that 

 address the portion which relates to this sdbject: 



"I can bear testimony to the valuable service, which members of 

 this association have rendered the food authoratives of this State, 

 when called upon to testify as to the effect of certain specified adul- 

 terations, upon the health of the persons who consume them. At 

 the same time, I call yotir attention to the fact, that those who are 

 on trial for adulterating foods, or selling foods that have been adul- 

 terated, confront us with medical experts who testify, that salicylic 



