ADULTERATION OF FOOD AND MEDICINE 299 



States is compounded, and while the chemist may not detect 

 the difference in it and that ripened in the natural way, the 

 stomach is a sure detective, and does not tolerate the fraud 

 without protest. Fifteen year old whisky can be made in 

 eighty minutes, by this way of compounding. Brandy is 

 made in the same way, and many wines are innocent of grape 

 juice. The law should compel proper labehng of all liquors. 

 Many manufacturers are putting on the market, goods of 

 prime quahty, while others sacrifice every thing for greed of 

 gain. One of the most dangerous adulterants is wood alcohol, 

 and unless 3^ou know the manufacturer, a test would be a safe 

 precaution : as it enters largely into all liquid medicines con- 

 taining alcohol made by dishonest firms; such as essence of 

 ginger, lemon, peppermint, witchhazel, and bay rum. At the 

 instance of the American Medical society, W. A. BuUer and 

 Casy Wood, of New York, made a study of wood alcohol, and 

 report a hundred and fifty three cases of blindness, and a hun- 

 dred and twenty two deaths, from wood alcohol and remedies 

 prepared from it. 



Although the United States Pharmacopea is the standard 

 of the country, it is not a compulsory document, except it is 

 made so by state enactment, hence we sometimes find a differ- 

 ence of seventy or eighty per cent in the product of a drug as 

 made by different manufacturers. Tinctures, fluid extracts, 

 and so forth should be identical, within reasonable limits. 

 Chemicals are often adulterated or impure, and chemical rea- 

 gents marked C. P. in many cases can not be relied on. Tinc- 

 tures have been found practically inert. A few years ago, a 

 joint committee from the American Medical society and the 

 American Pharmaceutical association, was appointed, to form 

 some plan whereby pure and reliable drugs and chemicals 

 could be produced, of definite strength and uniform action, to 

 be used as remedial agents. In their report, they deplored 

 the condition, but no practical plan was given as a remedy. 

 Through greater facilities for purchase of the crude drug, a bet- 

 ter understanding of what is necessary in its care and manip- 

 ulation, one firm will produce a better and more rehable prod- 

 uct of a certain kind of drug, than other firms. The same 

 firm may fail to make the best brand of another drug. So it 



