OFFICE OF THE SOLICITOR. 407 



THE FOOD AND DRUGS ACT. 



[34 Stat., 768.] 



Seven hundred and ninety-seven cases were transmitted to the De- 

 partment of Justice, in 337 of which criminal proceedings and in 460 

 of Avhich seizures w^ere recommended. The 337 criminal cases em- 

 braced 631 alleged violations of the food and drugs act. 



At the close of the fiscal year 1917, 313 cases were pending, of 

 which 213 were criminal prosecutions and 100 were seizures. 



Two hundred and forty-three cases pending at the close of the 

 fiscal year 1917 and 469 reported during the fiscal year 1918, in all 

 712, were terminated in 1918. Of those terminated, 362 were crimi- 

 nal and 350 were civil. 



In 311 of the 362 criminal cases fines were imposed. Most of these 

 cases were disposed of by pleas of guilty or nolo contendere. There 

 were trials in only 7; in 5 collateral deposited by defendants was 

 forfeited by reason of their nonappearance in court; in 1 the 

 judgment of conviction in the lower court was affirmed by the 

 circuit court of appeals; in 1 the Supreme Court of the United 

 States reversed the judgment of the lower court, which sustained a 

 demurrer to the indictment, and in another it affirmed the judgment 

 of the circuit court of appeals, which affirmed the judgment of con- 

 viction in the trial court; in 2 there were acquittals; 33 were nolle 

 prossed or the informations dismissed; and 8 were withdrawn or 

 barred by the statute of limitations. 



In the criminal cases in wdiich convictions were obtained the fines 

 were as follows : 



Fines assessed under food and drugs act in cases reported by this department 



to the Department of Justice. 



' This number represents 589 ^'ioIations of the food and drugs act. 



In addition to the fines imposed costs were generally assessed. 



Of the 350 civil cases terminated during the year decrees of con- 

 demnation and forfeiture or informal orders for the disposition of the 

 property were entered in 325, of which 1 was decided favorably to 

 the Government after contest; in 3 rhe libels were dismissed; in 21 

 the packages were broken or disposed of before seizure could be 



