570 ANNUAL REPORTS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Etlier, specified chemically pure, contained nonvolatile matter and 

 peroxifls. 



Hydrogen peroxid, U. S. P.. found low in strength. 



Uranium acetate, chemically pure, free from sodium, contained 

 sodium and potassium sahs. 



Alcohol, clicmically pure, absolute, contained nonvolatile matter 

 and was low in alcohol content. 



Benzol, chemically pure, free from thiophin, contained thiophin 

 and other impurities. 



Amyl alcohol, chemically pure, water white, contained impurities 

 and was of hii^h-boilinjr point. 



Acetic acid, chemically pure, special, 99.9 per cent, some low in 

 acetic acid content, others did not comply with the sulphuric acid- 

 bichromate test. 



Sodium bicarbonate, chemically pure, contained monocarbonate. 



Sodium carbonate, chemically pure, anhj'drous, low in sodium car- 

 bonate content. 



Methyl alcohol, chemically pure, free from acetone, contained non- 

 volatile matter and acetone. 



Lead peroxid, chemically pure, was low in lead peroxid content. 



NOSTRUMS AND PROPRIETARY REMEDIES. 



Some attention has been given to the various commodities placed 

 on the market and exploited for the treatment of consumption, 

 cancer, drug addiction, obesity, etc., and to the so-called proprietary 

 remedies of secret composition. The therapeutic and medical claims 

 used with these are often false or fraudulent or misleading. A large 

 amount of printed matter and other data were collected and sub- 

 mitted at the hearing of the Richardson bill before the Committee 

 on Interstate and Foreign Commerce. This information was pub- 

 lished as the " Pure Food and Drug Act, Hearings before the Com- 

 mittee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, House of Representa- 

 tives, Sixty-second Congress, Second Session, Part II." 



FOOD AND DRUG INSPECTION. 

 INSPECTION FORCE. 



During the fiscal year ended June 30. 1912, there were collected 

 more than 10,000 official samples of foods and drugs. With the ex- 

 ception of a limited number, which indicate samples obtained in the 

 course of milk campaigns or from mail-order houses, these samples 

 represent visits by inspectors to mercantile establishments and are 

 indicative of the number of inspections of wholesale and retail stocks. 

 There were approximately 1,500 factory inspections reported which 

 were made with a view of noting particularly the sanitary condi- 

 tions obtaining both in the establishment proper and on the premises, 

 the propriety of labeling, and general practices which might be con- 

 trary to the provisions of the law. There were 446 recommendations 

 submitted to the Board of Food and Drug Inspection which re- 

 counted the sale and interstate delivery in confiscable quantities of 

 adulterated or misbianded food and drug products which were sub- 



