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Abbott, secretary of ilic Massachusetts State board of health, con- 

 taining some valuable inclosures, and in which he says, in regard to the 

 inspection laws of his State: 



I will reply briefly that the laws of this State relative to food aud drug inspection 

 were enacted in 1832. Not much active work other than investigation was done till 

 1834, since which time the board has carried on a very successful line of work under 

 these laws. About '26,000 samples of food and drugs, in all, have been examined, and 

 395 prosecutions conducted in 80 cities and towns in this State. These related to 

 milk, butter, honey, sirups, sugar, molasses, vinegar, cream of tartar, olive-oil, 

 maple sirup and sugar, spices of various sorts, confectionery, coffee, and various 

 kinds of drugs. Eighty-seven per cent, of the complaints entered ('344 in all) re- 

 sulted in conviction. Several articles of an actively injurious character have been 

 found and their sale suppressed aud offenders driven out of the State in some instances. 



Prom one of the inclosures forwarded by Dr. Abbott, consisting of a 

 page from an early report of the State board, I extract the following 

 interesting testimony as to the results of the enforcement of the law: 



There can be no question as to the beneficial results of the law as executed by the 

 officers of the board in improving the quality of the food and drug supply of the State, 

 especially in regard to milk and butter in the former case as relates to the quality 

 of the supply, and in the latter as relating to the proper branding and marking of 

 spurious goods. The extensive correspondence of the health department with whole- 

 sale houses outside of Massachusetts also confirms their appreciation of the value of 

 the work done in this State, and also the necessity of furnishing articles of undoubted 

 purity for this market. This is especially true of all classes of drugs sold at whole- 

 sale by parties outside the State. 



The actual economic results obtained by the enforcement of the statutes relative 

 to food and drug inspection can not be stated exactly. The law is comprehensive 

 and its provisions cover a great variety of articles. Its restraining influence extends 

 outside of Massachusetts to manufacturers sending goods to this market. Such par- 

 ties appreciate the value of the work clone in this State, and also the necessity of 

 furnishing articles of undoubted purity for this market. 



From Dr. Hewitt, secretary of the state board of health and vital 

 statistics, of the State of Minnesota, I received a letter, which, though 

 probably not intended for publication, treats the subject of food adul- 

 teration in a common-sense manner that ought to command, attention. 

 He is no doubt justified in the assertion that there is a good deal of 

 clap-trap in the cry of adulterations, in spite of which he concludes that 

 "there are dangers real, important, and to be guarded against." His 

 letter reads as follows : 



I am glad that the Department has undertaken to obtain a report of a popular 

 character of food adulterations. 



There is so much clap-trap in the stir which has resulted in the law for food pro- 

 tection in the West this last winter, that I shall be glad to see the truth let into the 

 people. 



Alum in baking powder !! was the cry that passed our recent law. Our greatest 

 clangors are in milk, and possibly in meat. The cry against milk has been a "bo- 

 nanza" to the patent-food men, aud they now boldly propose to supplement, not only 

 cow's milk, but mother's milk as well, and their sales are enormous. One of them 

 applied to me the other day for a list of the parents of new-born children, which I 

 get monthly from all over the State, so that he could get in early with the patent 

 food. The ccy of adulteration aud danger in foods is become a watchword for the 

 very frauds themselves. 



