42 



so stringent that it will not pay to take the risk." They also say : 

 "Any adulterants used iii medicines would be injurious," and they con- 

 clude with the assertion that an experience of thirty-nine years shows 

 that druggists who adulterate their goods generally lose their trade. 



Mr. Elisha Winter is the secretary of the committee on legislation 

 of the National Pure Food Movement $ in a debate before the Eetail 

 Grocers' Association of New York and vicinity between himself and 

 Artemus Ward, he spoke as follows : 



Adulteration plays into the hands of the avaricious few, by giving them the chance 

 to take more than their share of trade, on account of the low prices at which they 

 can sell poor goods. Some of the arguments that have been brought up against the 

 possible operation of this bill remind me of the terrible apprehension with which 

 some persons endeavored to scare the community when railroads were first suggested. 

 It was gravely .argued that the trains would frighten the cows and they would not let 

 down their milk. 



Recognizing the limit to the situation, we present this bill as the only possible re- 

 sort ; or, in the language of the call : "The only protection the honest retailer can se- 

 cure for himself is to ask the National Government to supplement the various States 

 and municipalities by reaching imported commodities, interstate transportation, and 

 in territories, under the jurisdiction of .the United States authorities, the sale of food 

 products." If the General Government will give the retailer this protection, he may 

 then work out his own salvation by putting his individual guaranty upon all his 

 goods and demanding that the State authorities shall then recognize the integrity of 

 his purpose and give him support, instead of making the present class discrimination, 

 to free himself from which he is now making this organized national attempt. 



The same gentleman, in a circular dated March, 1887, says : 



The evils accruing from the manufacture, importation, and sale of adulterated 

 food, drugs, and medicines are patent to all who have given the matter even casual 

 attention. This traffic is on the increase, and the detrimental influences arising 

 therefrom extend to the health as well as the pockets of the people. For both hy-_ 

 gienic and commercial reasons it is agreed that a remedy sufficiently powerful to 

 check the evil must be invoked. 



The constitution and by-laws of the Central Association of Eetail 

 Merchants of New York and vicinity, says under the heading of " ob- 

 jects and aims : w 



SEC. 7. Protection against the adulteration of goods, fictitious labels, imperfectly 

 prepared food products, etc. : Legislative reform has been practically null and void 

 looking to the accomplishment of much reform in the adulteration of goods, ficti- 

 tious labels, etc. It has been very easy to pass laws, but very difficult to enforce 

 them. Our proposed State association will have a duty to perform in arriving, if 

 possible, at a happy medium of judgment upon the merits of these questions. This 

 association should also demand that with every package of food products shall be de- 

 livered the guaranty and designation of the quality of goods therein contained. 



DR. HASSELL ON THE NEED OF LEGISLATION. 



Ill concluding this report I submit the following deductions of that 

 celebrated and eminent English scientist, Dr. Hassell, who more than 

 thirty years ago was employed by the London Lancet to investigate 

 the adulteration of food products. Dr. HasselFs work on food adul- 

 terants is a standard on the subject, and as his conclusions (which aided 



