No. 6. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE. 101 



The unselfish co-operation of the public is desired, and when com- 

 plaints are free from self-apparent sinister motives, they receive 

 prompt and most careful attention. Anonymous letters are not 

 entitled to any notice or consideration. 



REQUESTS FOR IMPROPER ANALYTICAL WORK. 



Although the attitude of the Dairy and Food Division upon the 

 question of analyzing food samples for the private information of 

 manufacturers, dealers and others, has been repeatedly explained, 

 many parties are still under the erroneous impression that it is the 

 bounden duty of the Commissioner to make such analytical exami- 

 nations. 



It is, therefore, proper to again reiterate the fact that neither the 

 laborator}* facilities nor financial resources would be adequate to 

 meet the demands, if the precedent were once establshed, while 

 the proper legitimate work of theJDivision would suffer and be prac- 

 tically annulled if such requests were granted. The Commissioner 

 is also aware of the indisputable fact that in many cases such official 

 chemists' reports are primarily wanted for use in advertising certain 

 goods, a feature which cannot properly be tolerated for obvious 

 reasons. The unscrupulous manufacturer or dealer could very read- 

 ily submit a sample of undoubted purity and excellence for the pro- 

 posed analytical examination on the part of the State chemist, 

 secure the desired official endorsement, and afterwards flood the 

 stores with goods of an inferior and illegal character. For these and 

 other reasons which could be cited, the Dairy and Food Commis- 

 sioner could not consistently grant the frequent requests received 

 asking for analyses of the varied food and drink products. On 

 the other hand, if the sworn special agents of the Division pur- 

 chase such samples in the stores, they can be examined with entire 

 propriety, and the results are then published in the "Monthly Bul- 

 letin." This plan also avoids in a measure the frequent duplication 

 of samples, thus saving considerable money and the added expense 

 of repeating analyses, which naturally follows when the samples 

 are submitted to the chemists located in Western and Eastern 

 Pennsylvania, repeatedly. Where duplications are discovered, the 

 chemists are authorized to discard them, unless in the case of 

 products which are found to be adulterated. 



DANGER LURKS IN WOOD ALCOHOL. 



The improper use of wood alcohol as a substitute for the true 

 alcohol, known as the natural product derived from sugar in the 

 process of alcoholic distillation, has given cause for well-founded 

 alarm. Wood alcohol has its various uses, and cannot be properly 

 condemned when confined to legitimate purposes, but when it is 

 introduced into whiskey and other drinks, medicinal preparations, 

 witch hazel, toilet waters, hair tonics, liniments, etc., its use at 

 once becomes a serious menace to health. The cheapness of wood 

 alcohol is the leading incentive for its use in the manner intimated, 

 but when it may cause blindness and other serious physical trouble, 

 there is no valid reason for its toleration in drinks, medicines, etc. 

 Systematic observation prompts the firm opinion that the next 

 Legislature should enact a law that would prohibit the sale or use 

 of any preparation intended for external or internal use in any 



