19 



There was an improvement in the standard of quinine pills. The 

 citrate of iron and quinine is often below the standard and the quality 

 of the sulphate is usually poor. Druggists who have been warned to 

 cease selling certain brands of alkaloidal preparations found to be seri- 

 ously deficient in quality, complain that they do not know where to go 

 for their supplies, especially since houses of wide reputation not infre- 

 quently send out such deficient goods, and it appears to them that the 

 board of health should go at once to the wholesale dealer with its 

 warnings. 



The result of the analyses made by Professor Caldwell show : Sul- 

 phate of quinine, 14 samples, only 2 of which did not contain foreign 

 substances j citrate of quinine and iron, 16 samples, of which only 3 

 were free from adulterants; pills of sulphate of quinine, 58 samples, 

 28 of which contained more or less adulteration ; pills of sulphate of 

 morphine, 28 samples, not one of which was up to the standard claimed. 



COMMERCIAL AND HEALTH FRAUDS IN BROOKLYN. 



The result of the laboratory work of the Brooklyn Bureau of Health 

 offers conclusive evidence that the position taken elsewhere, that food 

 products are adulterated much more largely than 5 per cent, is correct. 

 In presenting a partial table of the results obtained, it is right to quote 

 what the Commissioner says (page 66) : 



There are large numbers of adulterations practiced with little if any attempt at 

 secrecy which we have not been called upon to investigate. 



Had these commercial frauds been examined doubtless the per cent- 

 age shown would have been much greater. 



[Pages 69 and 70 of the report for 1885.] 



