8 



assaying opium, cinchona, ipecac, and mix vomica have so far been 

 studied and compared and the following drugs are being studied at 

 this time: Belladonna leaves, belladonna root, coca leaves, colchicum 

 corm, and colchicum seed. 



A careful study of those medicinal remedies included in the United 

 States Pharmacopoeia for which there are no methods of analysis or 

 recognized standards at present, and of some remedies not so recog- 

 nized, is now in progress for the purpose of developing methods of 

 analysis and acquiring data upon which uniform methods and stand- 

 ards of composition, quality, and strength may be based. The change 

 of composition or deterioration, due to age or other causes, of crude 

 drugs and finished products is also studied. Investigations of all 

 drug products or medicinal agents for adulteration and misbranding 

 under the food and drugs act, June 30, 1906, are made in this division 

 or under its supervision, and similar investigations are also conducted 

 in cooperation with the American Medical Association. A number 

 of pharmaceutical chemists are stationed at the branch laboratories 

 of the Bureau of Chemistry for the examination of drug products 

 imported into the United States. 



This division regularly, examines chemical reagents purchased by 

 the Bureau of Chemistry, first, for the purpose of securing trust- 

 worthy and reliable chemicals for analytical work; second, to obtain 

 data which will serve in establishing standards; and, third, to place 

 all contractors and competitors on an equal footing. As chairman 

 of a committee on the testing of chemical reagents of the Association 

 of Official Agricultural Chemists, the chief of the Division of Drugs 

 collects data on the quality of chemicals furnished to analytical 

 laboratories, to be used in formulating standards for chemical re- 

 agents. Analyses are also made for the Post-Office Department, and 

 in other ways the officials are assisted in reaching conclusions relative 

 to the fraudulent and dangerous nature of certain products sent 

 through the mails. 



Analyses of medicinal plants and other products are made for the 

 Bureau of Plant Industry, and collaborative work on the investiga- 

 tion of the various cod-liver oils, beeswax produced under different 

 conditions, and the influence of certain poisonous plants on the health 

 of bees is also in progress. These investigations are conducted in 

 collaboration with the Bureau of Entomology, the Bureau of Fisheries 

 of the Department of Commerce and Labor, and the Division of 

 Foods of this Bureau. 



[Cir. 14] 



