BUREAU OF CHEMISTRY, 589 



The work on drugs included an interesting sophistication of carda- 

 mom seed, in which many of the seeds were coated with chiy, and 

 quite a Large portion of the substance was composed of gravel and 

 what appeared to be bastard cardamom. A large number of samples 

 of various drugs have been examined during the year to determine 

 the amount of foreign material present, the results to be used as a 

 basis for arriving at standards for these products. Among the drugs 

 examined to determine the amount of foreign material present should 

 be mentioned, in addition to cardamom, senna, buchu. coriander, and 

 juniper berries. 



The routine work has included the examination of a wide range of 

 substances, the largest single item being that of paper. The exami- 

 nation of contract materials has included such materials as fabrics, 

 insect powders, typewriter ribbons, scouring powders, and cotton 

 wastes, this work being done usually at the request of other depart- 

 ments of the Government in collaboration with other laboratories in 

 this bureau. A large number of fabrics, teas, coffees, and spices have 

 been examined for the General Supply Committee. 



The work performed under the food and drugs act included the 

 examination of a wide range of substances, among which might be 

 mentioned spices, jams, jellies and preserves, cattle foods, eggs, nuts, 

 sausages, mincemeats, various dried fruits, olives, candies, chocolate 

 and coco products, corn, peas, beans, etc. 



Below is given a tabulated list of the number and kind of samples 

 examined during the past year: 



Miscellnneous samples: 



Papers 1, 970 



Foods (chocolate, tomato ketclmi). mi(s. figs, spices, olives, tea, 



coffee, etc.) 57 



DruRs 281 



Textiles 300 



Typewriter ribbons 3.5 



Cattle foods 21 



Insect powders 20 



Scouring pciwders, etc — _ 13 



Miscellaneous 22 



Dextrin, miscellaneous foods, etc 72 



Total 3,066 



Interstate samples: 



Drugs 149 



Tomato pnidur-ts (pulp, ketchup, etc.) HTS 



Jams, jellies, etc 'i7 



Spices 38 



Cofl'ee. chocolate, coco, tea, etc 51 



Cattle foods 218 



Eggs 05 



Nuts 53 



Sausage, mincemeat 34 



.Miscellaneous fruits (apples, peaches, cherries, prunes, cur- 

 rants, figs, raisins, etc.) 112 



Starchy foods and seeds (biscuit, bread, rice cakes, corn, peas, 



beans, etc.) - — 25 



Miscellaneous (i5 



Insecticides 65 



Total 1.298 



Total for year 4,3G4 



