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What  is  Rice  Powder? 
Am.  Jour.  Pbarro. 
July,  1915. 
The  following  is  a  statement  of  the  results  of  the  examination, 
together  with  information  concerning  the  place  of  purchase,  price, 
and  manner  of  labelling  of  each,  and  in  some  instances  the  results 
of  correspondence  with  the  seller  whose  attention  had  been  called 
to  the  fraudulent  character  of  the  product.  The  names  of  brands 
are  purposely  withheld  as  being  of  no  particular  benefit,  practically  all 
of  the  samples  standing  upon  the  same  level  in  the  evident  dishonesty 
attending  their  labelling  and  sale.  It  would  seem,  from  a  study  of 
the  labels  of  the  products,  that  a  French  label  is  a  practical  guarantee 
of  adulteration,  the  only  pure  samples  encountered  being  labelled 
simply  "  Rice  powder,"  with  no  affectation  or  frills.  " Poudre  de 
Riz"  is  French  for  rice  powder,  and  " Fleur  de  Riz"  is  French  for 
the  choicest  rice,  fleur,  which  means  flower,  being  used  in  a  symbolic 
manner.  Indeed,  the  attitude  of  manufacturers  in  general  with 
reference  to  the  adulteration  of  rice  powder  is  like  the  grin  of  the 
Cheshire  cat  in  "  Alice  in  Wonderland,"  in  which  it  will  be  remem- 
bered that  when  Alice  expresses  surprise  that  a  cat  could  grin  the 
Red  Queen  replied,  "  All  of  them  can  and  most  of  them  do." 
No.  1. — Labelled  "  Fleur  de  Riz — much  fresher  and  consequently 
much  superior  to  the  imported."  Price,  20  cents  for  package  contain- 
ing 4  ounces.  This  sample  was  purchased  in  a  large  drug  store. 
Analysis  showed  it  to  consist  entirely  of  corn  starch.  Attention  of 
the  proprietor  of  the  store  was  called  to  the  dishonesty  of  the  practice, 
and  an  immediate  reply  was  received,  stating  that  the  product  would 
be  changed.   That  this  was  done  was  subsequently  verified. 
No.  2. — Labelled  "  Poudre  de  Riz — Surfine  " ;  claimed  to  be  im- 
ported. Price,  20  cents  for  package  containing  4  ounces.  This  sam- 
ple was  purchased  at  the  same  store  as  No.  1.  The  same  brand  was 
also  found  for  sale  at  the  same  price  in  various  other  drug  and  depart- 
ment stores.  Analysis  showed  this  sample  to  consist  of  rice  flour 
50  per  cent.,  zinc  oxide  10  per  cent.,  and  talc  40  per  cent. 
No.  3. — Labelled  "  Poudre  de  Riz — Rice  Powder."  Price,  20 
cents  for  a  package  containing  4  ounces.  This  sample  was  purchased 
in  a  department  store.  It  purported  to  be  manufactured  in  New 
York.  The  composition  of  this  sample  was  corn  starch  17  per  cent., 
chalk  13  per  cent.,  talc  70  per  cent.  A  letter  addressed  to  the  firm 
selling  the  product  was  shortly  after  replied  to  by  the  manufacturers, 
who  stated  that  the  package  in  question  had  probably  been  put  up  by 
mistake,  and  that  if  I  returned  it  they  would  send  me  a  package  of 
