REPORT OF THE CHEMIST. 



IT. S. Department of Agriculture, 



Bureau of Chemistry, 

 Wasliington, D. C, Septembers, 1902. 



Sir: I have the honor to submit herewith my report of the opera- 

 tions of the Bureau of Chemistr}^ for the fiscal year ended June 30, 

 1902, together with an outline of the proposed work for the fiscal j^ear 

 ending June 30, 1903, and an estimate of the probable expenses of 

 the Bureau for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1904. 

 Respectfully, 



H. W. Wiley, Chemist. 

 Hon. James Wilson, Secretary. 



WORK OF THE YEAR. 



On the 1st of July, 1901, the old Division of Chemistry, the first of 

 the Divisions organized in the Department of Agriculture, became by 

 act of Congress and Executive order the Bureau of Chemistry, The 

 enlargement of the scope of the work bj^ reason of this change ren- 

 dered necessar}^ an entire reorganization of the working force and a 

 redistribution of the subjects of investigation. To this end, with the 

 approval of the Secretary of Agriculture, the work of the Bureau was 

 divided into groups, and laboratories were established to which each 

 group of work was assigned. The laboratories orgauizef^l for the year's 

 work were as follows: 



FOOD laboratory. 



To this laboratory, of which Mr. W. D. Bigelow was made chief, was 

 confided the studj^ of the composition, digestibility, and adulteration 

 of human foods in the largest sense of tliat term, including foods in 

 the ordinary sense, beverages, and condiments. Also to this labora- 

 tory was assigned the study of substances added to foods for any pur- 

 pose whatever, of which preservatives, coloring matters, and leavening 

 agents are types. 



During the fiscal j^ear of 1901-1902 the examination of imported foods, 

 which was begun in 1898, was brought to a close, and the results were 

 embodied in a rejiort to the Secretary of Agriculture, and by him 

 transmitted to the President. In the course of this work the exami- 

 nation of imported olive oils led to the observation that several oils 

 were adulterated which have alwaj's been rejiorted jjure by labora- 

 tories using the standard methods usually employed in the examina- 

 tion of salad oils. The work on the subject of olive oils was there- 

 fore greatly increased. It is proposed to issue a publication on this 



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