Jasper County Democrat, Volume 12, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 April 1909 — THE RED TAPE PURE FOOD LAW [ARTICLE]

THE RED TAPE PURE FOOD LAW

Rmsssiaw Druggists Arrested On Charge Of State Agent, SAYS DRUGS WERE NOT PURE Which He Purchased Last June and March—Aqua Amonla, Lime Water and lodine the Alleged Druge In Which Adulterations Were Found—Two Charges Each Against the Three Druggists, Who Give Bond For gIOO In Each Case —Prosecutions Not Looked Upon With Favor By the General Public.

On complaint of one, Frank Tucker, a State food and drug inspector, who files the affidavits, Rensselaer’s three druggists, B. F. Fendig, A. F. Long and J. A. Larsh, were arrested Monday afternoon, charged with violations of the Pure Food and Drug law. The affidavits charge that the druggists sold articles of drugs to the said Frank Tucker on June 16, 1908, and March 25, 1909, which were not what they were alleged to be, in that they were adulterated. Aqua Amonia was purchased from all three, lime water from two, and tincture of iodine from one, according to the affidavits, and there are two cases filed against each druggist. , They gave bond for SIOO in each count to be present when called upon In court The cases are set for trial on the third Monday, and it is understood they will be contested to the last ditch by the druggists, who look upon the prosecution as very unjust. Anyone can make “lime water,” they say, and it lyis no standard of purity. Amonia is not used internally, nor is iodine. They say that if an inspector goes Into a butcher shop or grocery store and finds spoiled pieat or a dirty store, he tells them to clean up, and does not start a prosecution at once, but with them he merely comes in and buys some article the same as anyone else, takes it away and alleges that an analysis has been made and it is found deficient in some way, and they are haled up in court, the inspector having to make a showing that he is earning his salary. Our druggists have been in business for many years, and have sold their goods to the public before the pure food law was thought of. No one has been poisoned by them nor has there been any ill effects from the use of their lime water, amonia or iodine, and the public generally does not look with much favor on this prosecution. The penalty, if found guilty, is a fine of $lO, we believe, for the first .offense.