190 MAIN^ AGRICUIvTURAI. EXPE;RIME;nT STATION. I909. 



keeping qualities, was purchased at a large number of drug 

 stores and found to be in about half the cases of unlawful 

 strength. Only in one instance, however, was fraud detected. 

 The goods were as liable to run too high as they were to run 

 too low and indicated carelessness in preparation and in storage. 



An investigation of the sweet spirit of nitre showed, that 

 much of the sweet spirit of nitre on sale in Maine was far below 

 standard strength. This is a more difficult preparation to make 

 and keep and after the poor showing made in the case of 

 tincture of iodine it was perhaps to be expected that this medi- 

 cine might not be found to be up to standard. It is to be noted, 

 however, that samples of sweet spirit of nitre were not obtained 

 until three months after explicit directions for its preparation 

 and storage had been sent to the drug trade of the State. 



Occasionally during the present year samples of various drugs 

 have been purchased at different places in the State and far toO' 

 many of them have been found to be not of standard strength — 

 sometimes too high, sometimes too low. In the case of lO' 

 druggists there were reasons to make somewhaat extended 

 inquiries into their methods of doing business and quite a large 

 number of samples of different preparations was taken from 

 their stocks and analyzed. (See pages 188 and 189). These 

 preparations were such as could be easily and accurately pre- 

 pared. 



These investigations into the drug trade in Maine do not 

 show intentional criminality but they do point out that there is 

 a large amount of carelessness. That it is not lack of ability 

 in manipulation is evidenced by their preparing, after their 

 attention is definitely called to it, goods of standard strength. 

 One is again forced to the conclusion, which seemed to be the 

 only explanation relative to the first investigation made with 

 tincture of iodine, that the druggists as a whole are not as care- 

 ful in making their preparations as they should be and do not 

 exercise the care that is essential in their business. Investiga- 

 tions of some of the methods used in preparing drugs to be 

 used as medicines has indicated that nothing like the care is 

 exercised in the dispensatory that is required in a chemical 

 laboratory. Inaccurate, flaring measuring glasses are in quite 

 common use. The druggists scales are, at least in some 

 instances, inaccurate. Although the U. S. P. directions are all 



