202 
ON DRUG GRINDING. 
per cent, less in efficiency than the other. From some cause un- 
known to me, the consumption of powdered opium has greatly 
increased in the last five years, and seems to be increasing annu- 
ally, if I may judge from the quantities I powder. 
From what has been said above, it must not by any means be 
inferred that I have ever been asked by any druggists to adulterate 
their opium ; this has never been the case. The only effect has 
been very frequent and severe scoldings about the loss ; but I 
have got used to these, and always look for them as a matter of 
course. Indeed, I have long been satisfied that there are very wrong 
impressions prevailing on the subject of adulteration of drugs in this 
city, at least as it regards those kinds that pass through my hands. 
I have no interest in this matter ; my business is to powder all 
articles sent to me, good, bad or indifferent. I neither buy nor 
sell drugs — know little or nothing about their cost or value, and 
whether they be adulterated or not, is of no pecuniary interest 
to me. I am therefore perfectly disinterested, and under these 
circumstances assert positively, that for many years past I have 
not been asked by any druggists to adulterate any of their drugs. 
I often receive articles to powder that I think are not very good, 
and often receive mixtures of the same article to powder together. 
For instance, a druggist may have rhubarb of a dark color and 
send me some of a lighter color to be mixed and powdered with 
it. Again, I sometimes receive two or three different kinds of 
bark to be powdered together — these things are of frequent occur- 
rence — but as to adulterating drugs with a foreign substance, 
never. I know that there is a considerable amount of suspicion 
prevailing among certain druggists on this subject. A suspects B, 
and B suspects A, but as far as my experience goes, I have no 
hesitation in saying they are all mistaken. Of course I do not 
know what is done in other establishments, I only allude to my 
own operations. Some years ago a powdering establishment 
was in operation here, and failed from one of the causes I alluded 
to before, which it is easy to comprehend, when I mention that 
on its being broken up, one of the hands came to me for employ- 
ment ; of course he could do everything — powder this, powder 
that, and grind t'other — never had any difficulty except in one 
thing, and that was " grinding cream tartar." I expressed my 
astonishment at this, knowing it to be the easiest thing in the 
