BUREAU OF CHEMISXBY. 207 



As a contribution to the department's prog^ram to increase pork 

 production a vigorous and successful campaign against fraudulent 

 hog-cholera remedies was conducted. 



The campaign to improve the practice of dispensing by retail 

 pharmacists in the District of Columbia, which has been in progress 

 for some years, has been continued. There is still room for some 

 improvement in the practice of the druggists of the District of 

 Columbia and of Porto Eico. Carelessness continues, so that a con- 

 siderable number of cases have been referred to the courts. More- 

 over, the retail drug trade seems slow to adjust itself to the require- 

 ments of the new Pharmacopoeia and the new National Formulary. 

 Conditions, however, have in general improved. A few years ago 

 the carelessness prevailing was so great that hundreds of prosecu- 

 tions might have been brought had it not seemed wiser to cite as a 

 warning in the less flagrant cases of carelessness and prosecute only 

 in the more flagrant ones. It is I3elieved that similar conditions have 

 prevailed, perhaps still prevail, in many other sections of the country, 

 and that the practice in the District of Columbia was not far from 

 the average of the country when this campaign was begun. There is 

 need that the drug-control officials of the country give more atten- 

 tion to the suppression of carelessness in pharmaceutical practice. 



Carelessness was also found in the practice of physicians' supply 

 houses. The products of more than 20 of these were examined, and 

 many cases of deficiencies of the active ingredients were found, as 

 well as not a few substitutions of a cheaper drug for an expensive one. 



COOPEKATION WITH STATE AND MUNICIPAL OFFICIALS. 



One hundred and fifty-six cases were instituted by officials in 29 

 States under the Federal Food and Drugs Aqt, 61 criminal prose- 

 cutions, and 95 seizures. Among these there were 64 food cases 

 and 1 drug case, as against but 9 food cases and no drug case last 

 year, conclusive evidence that food-control officials are beginning 

 to use the Federal act for the protection of their people in the man- 

 ner in which feed-control officials have long availed themselves of it. 

 It is thus evident that effective cooperation between Federal, State, 

 and municipal officials is spreading. 



The character of the " Clearing House Letter," described in this 

 report for last year, has been changed to include not merely last- 

 minute regidatory information but also plans or programs of work 

 intended to be carried out month by month in the immediate future. 

 Under the title of " The Monthly Review of the Bureau of Chem- 

 istry " it goes to about 400 officials. The Office of Cooperation of the 

 bureau, with the help of the bureau's library staff, is compiling laws, 

 regulations, definitions, and standards, both domestic and foreign, 

 applicable to foods and drugs, for the use of officials. 



Correspondence between the bureau and city and State officials 

 has been far- greater than during previous years, an indication that 

 a much larger measure of educational work relating to food and 

 drug control is being done than formerly, thus adding undoubtedly 

 to the efficiency of city and State food and drug control. There 

 have been many specific instances of cooperation between local offi- 

 cials and the bureau's field force. 



