Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  ) 
July,  1915.  / 
What  is  Rice  Powder? 
a  reply  in  which  it  was  stated  that  "  Poudre  de  Riz  "  or  "  Rice 
powder  "  simply  was  a  trade  name  for  a  powder  containing  rice  as 
one  of  its  ingredients.  Some  of  the  manufacturers  may  believe  this, 
but  the  salespeople  at  the  cosmetic  counters  have  never  been  in- 
formed that  such  is  the  case,  for  always  upon  inquiry  the  informa- 
tion is  forthcoming,  "  Yes,  this  rice  powder  is  perfectly  pure." 
To  summarize  the  results,  it  will  be  found  that  of  the  sixteen 
samples  examined  but  two  were  genuine  and  only  six  contained 
rice  starch  at  all.  In  eight  of  the  samples  corn  starch  was  used  in 
place  of  the  more  expensive  rice  starch,  and  in  two  samples  no  starch 
of  any  kind  was  present,  the  constituents  being  wholly  of  a  mineral 
origin.    Talc  was  present  in  thirteen  out  of  the  sixteen  samples. 
.  The  wholesale  prices  of  the  foregoing  materials  are  approxi- 
mately as  follows : 
Rice  flour    6     cents  a  pound 
Corn  starch    3T/2  cents  a  pound 
Talc    6     cents  a  pound 
Zinc  oxide    2     cents  a  pound 
Chalk    5     cents  a  pound 
*  Bismuth  subnitrate    $2. 75              a  pound 
*  This  may  be  disregarded,  as  only  two  samples  contained  this  ingredient,  and  this  only  in 
an  amount  of  1  per  cent. 
It  will  be  seen  that  there  is  no  great  difference  in  the  cost  of 
any  of  the  ingredients  used,  and  that,  inasmuch  as  the  style  of  the 
package  is  in  every  case  of  an  inexpensive  character,  there  is  no 
warrant  for  charging  at  the  rate  of  from  40  cents  to  $1  a  pound  for 
the  mixing  and  perfuming,  which  are  the  only  other  items  of  expense. 
It  is  also  clearly  apparent  that  there  is  no  justification  for  the 
substitution  of  other  ingredients  for  rice  flour  when  the  label  gives 
no  clue  to  their  presence. 
From  the  wholesale  manner  in  which  toilet  powders  seem  to  be 
used  in  these  days,  noses  often  being  so  thickly  powdered  as  to 
resemble  marshmallows,  it  would  seem  from  the  consumer's  stand- 
point to  be  economy  to  purchase  rice  flour  in  a  grocery,  where,  being 
sold  under  the  provisions  of  the  food  law,  it  is  certain  to  be  pure, 
and  to  use  it  in  the  unperfumed  and  unadulterated  condition.  It 
would  commend  itself  also  as  tending  to  reduce  the  high  cost  of 
living. 
