37 



originally extracted from oil of wintergreen, but nov,' made from coal tar. The acid 

 is an antiseptic. It is frequently Tised to preserve food and naturally preserves the 

 food in the stomach. Prof. Weber also analyzed Leopold Hoff's Malt Extract, a 

 tonic manufactured in Hamburg, Germany. It also contained large quantities of 

 salicylic acid. Dr. Ashmun, of Cleveland, a member of the State Board of 



Health, says that salicylic acid is given sometimes for a few days, but it must be 

 discontinued, and as invalids and their physicians should know what is being admin- 

 istered as a tonic, Commissioner Derthick desires to inform them and the pub- 

 lic. * * The developments made by these investigations are to be laid before 

 the legislature in support of the adulterated food bill, which has passed one branch. 



From Dr. B. F. McNeal, Ohio dairy and food commission, Columbus, 

 Ohio: 



A summary of the analyses of samples taken by the Ohio dairy and food commis- 

 sion during the year ending May, 1893, shows about 64 per cent of the samples ana. 

 lyzed to have been adulterated. The samples were taken from goods found on sale 

 in the open market by men who were not experts in judging the quality of the goods 

 they inspected. The character of the adulterants has been mainly of the class 

 termed noninjurious. Though many substances are used as adulterants which may 

 not be injurious to the healthy stomach, yet when given to the people promiscu- 

 ously, both healthy and unhealthy, many of them must be injurious in some cases. 



The result of the pure-food legislation in the State of Ohio has been effective in 

 reducing and preventing adulteration of foods and drugs in proportion to the active 

 measures taken by our dairy and food commission to execute the law. The laws on 

 our statute books have been and always will be a dead letter unless an active, ener- 

 getic policy is maintained upon the part of those who are officially charged with 

 their execution. 



OREGON. 



In a recent paper on the subject of milk and butter, the Hon. W. W. 

 Baker, food commissioner for Oregon, says: 



To me this part of my subject is more interesting, because, even with the limited 

 amount of money at my command, I have been enabled to enforce the law in a profit- 

 able degree at least. 



A considerable amount of imitation butter has been sold in this market during 

 the present winter by wholesalers, who do so by virtue of a Federal license. I have 

 made several arrests and secured as many convictions. Without comment as to the 

 quality of imitation butter, I will quote Avhat Prof. Henry F. Nachtrict, of the 

 Minnesota State University, says, after making many tests: 



" The best and cleanest looking samples had a butter odor and taste, and would 

 readily pass for butter. It had a very small variety of living organisms, but a great 

 many spores, which, under favorable conditions, I have no doubt, would germinate. 

 It also contained masses of dead mold, bits of cellulous wood, various colored particles, 

 shreds of hair, bristles, etc. The other 2 samples teemed with life, and yielded 

 microscopic preparations of the mold and bacteria that would have gladdened the 

 heart of the student of biology. The microscope revealed the fact that the greatest 

 variety of life existed in the inner portions of these samples, and that the outer por- 

 tions contained the greatest quantity of active bacteria. The animals found in the 

 butterin belong to the type of protozoa. Doubtful portions of worms were also 

 noticed. Many of the protozoa, under favorable conditions, pass into a encysted 

 stage or develop spores within protected capsules, and in these conditions lie dor- 

 mant till the environment is again favorable, and it can hardly be doubted that some 

 of the many spores found in butterine Avere merely in a dormant state. The great 

 number and variety of organisms found in the samples indicate the use of foul water 

 and a criminally filthy process in making it. There can not be the slightest doubt 



