202 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Cooperation with state officials. — It is not possible to give a 

 complete account of the assistance given State and municipal offi- 

 cials by the bureau, or of the assistance received by the bureau 

 from them, because much of this cooperation is of an informal 

 nature and because local officials do not always report to the bu- 

 reau upon the value of the information received. However, such 

 cooperation has been more effective than ever before owing to the 

 manner in which the Office of State Cooperative Food and Drug 

 Control, established in 1914, has conducted its work, described in 

 a general way in the report of last year, and because of the greater 

 amount of information it has distributed. Many conferences have 

 been held with State officials, and they have been notified of the 

 beginning and termination of court cases, of court decisions, of 

 all public hearings held by the bureau. Twenty-three sets of in- 

 formation cards on methods of food and drug analysis have been 

 issued to them and they have been furnished copies of analyses 

 and inspection reports. A Manual of Procedure for the Guidance 

 of State Health, Food, and Drug Officials has been compiled and for- 

 warded to State officials for their information and guidance when 

 endeavoring to use the Federal food and drugs act as outlined 

 in section 5 of the act. A list of Federal and State Dairy, Food, 

 Drug, and Feeding Stuffs Officials has been prepared and kept up to 

 date for the information of these officials. A compilation of State 

 food and drug laws and of State food inspection decisions has been 

 begun. Twenty-three instances of seizure action instituted by State 

 officials are known to the bureau. Other seizure actions under the 

 Federal law, not reported to the bureau, were undoubtedly inaugu- 

 rated by joint action of the State official and the local United States 

 attorneys. One hundred and ninety-one official samples were col- 

 lected by State officials in 19 States. Among the adulterated ar- 

 ticles proceeded against under State laws or municipal ordinances 

 upon information furnished by the bureau may be mentioned de- 

 composed eggs, decomposed canned goods, decomposed fish and poul- 

 try, polluted or watered oysters, watered scallops, saponin-containing 

 foods, liquors containing wood alcohol, misbranded nostrums, and 

 spurious drugs. In a large number of instances information was 

 given to the Health Department of New York City which led to 

 condemnation of adulterated food not coming under the jurisdiction 

 of the Federal act. Many of the State and municipal officials have 

 reciprocated for information of this kind by furnishing to the bureau 

 evidence of violations of the Federal law. Among the most notable 

 instances are polluted or watered oysters, watered scallops, adulterated 

 milk or cream, decayed eggs, decomposed canned goods, butter and 

 fish, wood alcohol in liquors, cottonseed meals and other feeds below 

 guarantee, adulterated oats, and misbranded nostrums. Some specific 

 instances of effective cooperation with State and municipal officials 

 have been mentioned above. in connection with other phases of the 

 bureau's work. Two other types follow: 



Abnormal trade conditions fostered the production of sparious 

 drugs in place of synthetic ones which are ordinarily imported, 

 notably acetyl-salicylic acid and neosalvarsan. Though a number of 

 sfiipments were seized, a number of individuals successfully prose- 

 cuted under the food and drugs act, and indictments returned under 



