BUREAU OF CHEMISTRY. 369 



DBUG CONTROL. 



The work under the food and drugs act on drugs and medicinal 

 products was reorganized during the year. An office of drug con- 

 trol was established to coordinate the entire work of the bureau 

 on these products. This office will function in reference to drugs 

 and medicines in the same manner that the food control laboratory 

 functions with respect to foods. The chemist in charge will act as 

 a staff adviser to the chief of the bureau in applying the provisions 

 of the food and drugs act to drugs and medicinal products. Plans 

 for the o^Dcration of this office now being formulated will be put 

 into effect during the fiscal year 1924. 



This office maintains a laboratory to work out special problems 

 arising in connection with the chemical analysis of drugs, particu- 

 larly with respect to the accuracy, adequacy, and adaptability of 

 analytical methods to the various preparations to which they are 

 to be applied. It is essential to know the conditions under which 

 various analytical methods can be relied upon and what factors 

 influence the results and to what extent. New methods for products 

 for which no methods or only defective methods have heretofore 

 heen available, or for new medicaments which are continually being 

 proposed, are essential to an adequate administration of the law as 

 it relates to drugs. 



The products coming within the scope of this office may be divided 

 into four classes: (i) Crude drugs, including herbs, leaves, bark, 

 roots, flowers, gums, etc.; (2) manufactured drug materials, such 

 as synthetic preparations, inorganic compounds, extracts and fluid 

 ■extracts of crude drugs, ferments, glandular extracts, and all other 

 manufactured ingredients entering into the composition of medi- 

 cines; (3) j)harmaceutical preparations, such as hypodermic and 

 other tablets, pills, medicines in capsules, wafers, etc., and all liquid 

 and solid preparations having a recognized standard and intended 

 for use as medicines without further manipulation; and (4) " patent 

 medicines." 



PHARMACOGNOSY INVESTIGATIONS. 



AVork to establish a scientific classification for plant species yield- 

 ing mustard seed is under way. Seeds yielding this desirable condi- 

 ment are similar and closely related to other seeds useful for fixed 

 oil, but not for condimental purposes. This work, partly completed, 

 -deals in a comprehensive way with the anatomy and chemistry of the 

 seed and the morphology of the plants. The chemistry comprises 

 a stud}' of the glucosides isolated and of the volatile oils yielded 

 thereby. Thus, by establishing the definite chemical and anatomical 

 characteristics of the seeds and the morphological characteristics of 

 the plants, a satisfactory supply of seeds is assured. The methods of 

 analysis have been materially improved and a new apparatus effect- 

 ing uniform and efficient heat for the distillation of the volatile 

 oils has been constructed. New species, mainly of oriental origin, 

 have been made available for condimental and medicinal use and for 

 fixed oil utilization. 



Experiments on sublimation were conducted. Many plants and 

 •certain animal products used for medicinal, food, or other purposes 

 ■contain substances of crystalline, sublimable nature. Some of these 



