13 



In such cases ignorance should be no excuse for crimes perpetrated 



I or the purpose of gain. The murder of one innocent, like the child in 



I Brooklyn, who was killed by eating a "greened" pickle, was more of 



I crime against human rights than all the restrictive laws that could 



>e put upon the Federal statutes. It is generally conceded by niy 



correspondents that a Federal law will secure prompt action on the 



3art of those States which have failed to take action in this matter, and 



1ms lessen the chances for like occurrences. 



In the case of drugs the extraction of their strength, their manu- 

 facture in a careless manner, or the substitution of an inferior article, 

 1 ire other matters entirely, and are not only crimes against the pocket, 

 but against health and life. Nearly all of the States, recognizing the 

 necessity for the prevention of crimes of this character, have stringent 

 pharmacy laws, the enforcement of which is not only beneficial to the 

 public but also of untold value to the reputable druggist, who is as anx- 

 ious to prevent fraud as anyone. 



The reports of the various pharmaceutical associations of the country 

 show that the members are earnest advocates of pure drugs, and yet 

 the reports of their various committees on deterioration and adultera- 

 tion all show the existence to a greater or less extent of adulterations. 

 Letters from leading men in the business say that until the Federal 

 Government enacts a law which will prevent the shipment of articles 

 from one State to another unless properly branded, State laws to pre- 

 vent the sale of such articles must of necessity prove ineffective. 



Adulterations in our food, our drugs, and drinks exist to a very 

 great extent in every State. In previous bulletins Nos. 25 and 32 

 the writer has claimed, from data at hand, that the extent of adultera- 

 tion is not less than 15 per cent, and he is still convinced that this is 

 rather below than above the mark. Of this amount probably only 2 

 per cent is of an injurious character to health, but when we remember 

 that to furnish 65,000,000 people with food, drink, and drugs costs not 

 less than $6,760,000 7 000 (allowing the average cost per capita to be 

 only $2 per week), we find by calculation that the amount of adultera- 

 tion reaches the immense sum of $1,014,000,000 annually, and as the 

 population increases each year so will increase this constant drain 

 upon the resources of the people. It may be said that a large propor- 

 tion of this is simply a deterioration, and that the purchaser gets value 

 for his money and is benefited- by the reduced price. Were this true, 

 the loss still falls upon the producer of the genuine article, and it must 

 be recollected that at least 2 per cent of the whole is of a character 

 deleterious to health, which amounts to the sum of $135,200,000 as the 

 annual amount paid by the American people for having their lives 

 taken or their health injured. 



No one attempts to controvert the assertion that when a purchaser 

 tries to buy an article, and is ready to pay for it the price asked, he 

 ^hould be given that article and not a substitute, even if the substi- 



