Registration No. ________

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D. C. 20549

                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      Under
                     THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED

                             RALSTON PURINA COMPANY
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

     Missouri                                                43-0470580
(State  or  other  jurisdiction  of                          (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation  or organization)                              Identification No.)

Checkerboard  Square,  St.  Louis,  MO                       63164
(Address of principal executive offices)                     (Zip Code)


                             RALSTON PURINA COMPANY
                             SAVINGS INVESTMENT PLAN
                            (Full title of the plan)

             J. M. Neville, Esq. Vice President and General Counsel
                             RALSTON PURINA COMPANY
                               Checkerboard Square
                            St. Louis, Missouri 63164
                     (Name and address of agent for service)
              Telephone Number of agent for service: (314) 982-1266

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                                 CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

<S>                       <C>              <C>                    <C>               <C>
                                                               Proposed
                                         Proposed              maximum
Title of securities.  Amount to be   maximum offering      aggregate offering    Amount of
being registered . .  registered     price per share (a)         price        registration fee

Ralston Purina
Common Stock
 .10 par value . . .    500,000            $32                 $16,000,000         $ 4,720.00

</TABLE>

[FN]
(a)       The average of the high and low prices of the Common Stock as reported
on  the  New  York  Stock  Exchange  on  July  31,  1998.

<PAGE>
               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item  3.          Incorporation  of  Documents  by  Reference

     The  following  documents  filed  with  the Commission (File No. 1-4582) by
Ralston  Purina  Company  (hereinafter  the  "Company")  are  incorporated  by
reference:

(i)          Annual  Report  on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 1997,

(ii)     Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the periods  ended December 31, 1997
and March  31,  1998,

(iii)       Current Reports on Form 8-K dated December 3, 1997 and May 28, 1998,
and

(iv)       The description of the Registrant's shares of common stock, including
the  Rights  related to the shares as set forth in the Rights Agreement dated as
of  March  28, 1996 between the Registrant and Boatmen's Trust Company as Rights
Agent,  contained in the Registrant's Form 8-A Registration Statements under the
Securities  Exchange  Act  of  1934,  filed on June 7, 1993, as amended June 11,
1993,  and  on March 29, 1996, including any amendments or reports filed for the
purpose  of  updating  such  information.

     All  documents subsequently filed by the Company pursuant to Section 13(a),
13(c),  14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, prior to
the  filing  of  a  post-effective amendment which indicated that all securities
offered  have  been  sold  or  which  deregisters  all securities then remaining
unsold,  shall  be  deemed  to be incorporated by reference in this Registration
Statement  and  to  be  a part hereof from the date of filing of such documents.
Any statement incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or
superseded  for  purposes  of  this  Registration Statement to the extent that a
statement  contained  herein  or  in any other subsequently filed document which
also  is  deemed  to  be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes
such  statement.    Any  such  statement  so modified or superseded shall not be
deemed,  except  as  so  modified  or  superseded,  to  constitute  part of this
Registration  Statement.

Item  4.          Description  of  Securities.

     The  Registrant's  common  stock  is  registered  under  Section  12 of the
Securities  Exchange  Act  of  1934,  as  amended.

Item  5.          Interests  of  Named  Experts  and  Counsel.

     The  validity  of  the  issuance  of  the  securities and obligations being
registered  has  been  passed  upon  for  the  Registrant by J. M. Neville, Vice
President  and General Counsel for the Registrant.  Mr. Neville is paid a salary
by  the  Company  and  participates in various employee benefit plans offered to
employees  generally,  including  the  Ralston Purina Company Savings Investment
Plan, as well as in plans offered to a limited number of key employees.  At July
1,  1998,  Mr.  Neville  was  the  beneficial  owner  of  26,485  shares  of the
Registrant's  common stock, and options to purchase 125,537 additional shares of
common  stock.  Additionally, as of May 29, 1998, 442 shares of the Registrant's
common  stock  and  1,699  shares  of the Registrant's Series A ESOP Convertible
Preferred  Stock  were  allocated  to  Mr.  Neville's accounts under the Ralston
Purina  Company  Savings  Investment  Plan.

     The  financial  statements  incorporated  in this Registration Statement by
reference  to  the  Registrant's  Annual  Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
September  30,  1997,  have  been  so incorporated in reliance on the reports of
PricewaterhouseCoopers  LLP,  independent accountants, given on the authority of
said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.  PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP has
served as independent accountant to the Registrant since 1955, and has no equity
or  other  interest  in  Registrant.

Item  6.  Indemnification  of  Directors  and  Officers.

     Under  the  terms  of  Section  351.355  of  the  Missouri G.B.C.L. and the
Company's  Restated Articles of Incorporation, Ralston must indemnify any person
who  is  or  was  a  director,  officer or employee of the Company, or is or was
serving  at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee or agent
of  another  corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise,
against  any  and  all expenses, including attorneys' fees, judgments, fines and
amounts  paid  in  settlement,  actually  and  reasonably  incurred  by  him  in
connection  with  any  civil,  criminal, administrative or investigative action,
proceeding  or  claim (including an action by or in the right of the Company) by
reason  of  the  fact  that he is or was serving in such capacity, provided that
such person's conduct is not finally adjudged to have been knowingly fraudulent,
deliberately  dishonest  or  willful  misconduct.  As permitted by the Company's
Restated  Articles,  the  Company  has  entered  into contracts with each of its
directors  and  corporate  officers  guaranteeing the indemnification provisions
stated  in  the  Restated  Articles  and  providing  for  advancement  to  such
individuals of legal fees and other expenses necessary in defending against such
actions,  proceedings  or  claims.

     The  Company  has  directors'  and  officers' insurance which protects each
director  or  officer  from  liability  for  actions  taken in their capacity as
directors  or  officers.    This insurance may provide broader coverage for such
individuals  in  certain  situations  than  may be required by the provisions of
Section  351.355  or  the  Company's  Restated  Articles  of  Incorporation.

     The  foregoing  represents  a summary of the general effect of Missouri law
and  the  Company's  Restated  Articles of Incorporation for purposes of general
description only.  Additional information regarding indemnification of directors
and  officers  can  be  found  in  Section 351.355 of the Missouri G.B.C.L., the
Company's  Restated  Articles  of  Incorporation  and  its  pertinent  insurance
contracts.

Item  7.  Exemption  from  Registration  Claimed.

     Not  Applicable.


<PAGE>
Item  8.  Exhibits.

     Exhibit  4.1          Ralston  Purina  Company  Savings  Investment  Plan.

     Exhibit  4.2          Ralston  Purina  Company  Retirement  Plan.

     Exhibit  5          Opinion of James M. Neville, Vice President and General
Counsel.

     Exhibit  23          Consent  of  Independent Certified Public Accountants.

Item  9.  Undertakings.

(a)          The  undersigned  registrant  hereby  undertakes:

     (1)  To  file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a
post  effective  amendment  to  this  registration  statement:

     (i)          to  include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the
Securities  Act  of  1933;

(ii)          to reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the
effective  date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective
amendment  thereof)  which,  individually  or  in  the  aggregate,  represent  a
fundamental  change  in  the  information  in  the  registration  statement;

(iii)          to  include  any material information with respect to the plan or
distribution  not  previously  disclosed  in  the  registration statement or any
material  change  to  such  information  in  the  registration  statement;

provided,  however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not apply if the
information  required  to  be  included  in  a post-effective amendment by those
paragraphs  is contained in periodic reports filed by the registrant pursuant to
Section  13  or  Section  15(d)  of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are
incorporated  by  reference  in  the  registration  statement.

     (2)  That for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities
Act  of  1933,  each  such  post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new
registration  statement  relating  to  the  securities  offered therein, and the
offering  of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide  offering  thereof.

     (3)  To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any
of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the
offering.

(b)       The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for the purposes of
determining  any  liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the
registrant's  annual  report  pursuant  to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the
Securities  Exchange  Act  of  1934  (and,  where  applicable, each filing of an
employee  benefit  plan's  annual  report  pursuant  to  Section  15(d)  of  the
Securities  Exchange  Act  of  1934)  that  is  incorporated by reference in the
registration  statement  shall  be  deemed  to  be  a new registration statement
relating  to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities
at  that  time  shall  be  deemed  to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(c)      Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities
Act  of  1933  may  be  required  with respect to directors, officers or persons
controlling  the Company pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the
registrant  has  been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange
Commission  such  indemnification  is  against public policy as expressed in the
Securities  Act  of  1933,  and  is
therefore  unenforceable.  In the event that a claim for indemnification against
such  liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred
or  paid  by  a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the
successful  defense  of  any  action,  suit  or  proceeding) is asserted by such
director,  officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being
registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter
has  been  settled  by  controlling  precedent, submit to a court of appropriate
jurisdiction  the  question whether such indemnification by it is against public
policy  as  expressed in the Securities Act of 1933, and will be governed by the
final  adjudication  of  such  issue.

<PAGE>


                                   SIGNATURES

     The  Registrant.    Pursuant  to  the requirements of the Securities Act of
1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it
meets  all  of  the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this
Registration  Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto
duly  authorized,  in  the  City  of  St.  Louis, Missouri, as of the 7th day of
August,  1998.

                             RALSTON PURINA COMPANY





By:          /s/ John P. Mulcahy          By:            /s/ William P. McGinnis
   -----------------------------             -----------------------------------
     John  P.  Mulcahy                                       William P. McGinnis
Co-Chief  Executive  Officer                          Co-Chief Executive Officer


                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

     KNOW  ALL  MEN  BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears
below  constitutes  and appoints James M. Neville, Nancy E. Hamilton and Charles
S.  Sommer,  and  each of them, his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and
agents,  with  full  power of substitution and resubstitution, for and in his or
her  name,  place  and  stead,  in  any  and all capacities, to sign any and all
amendments  (including post-effective amendments), and to file the same with all
exhibits  thereto,  and  other  documents  in  connection  therewith,  with  the
Securities  and  Exchange  Commission,  granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and
agents,  and  each  of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and
every  act  and  thing  requisite  and  necessary  to  be  done in and about the
premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in
person,  hereby  ratifying  and  confirming  that all said attorneys-in-fact and
agents  or  any  of  them, or their or his or her substitute or substitutes, may
lawfully  do  or  cause  to  be  done  by  virtue  hereof.


<PAGE>
Pursuant  to  the  requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration
statement  has  been signed by the following persons in the capacities described
as  of  August  7,  1998.


SIGNATURE                                                      TITLE
---------                                                      -----


    /s/    William  P.  Stiritz                     Chairman of the Board
-------------------------------
     William  P.  Stiritz                           and Director



    /s/    John  P.  Mulcahy                        Co-Chief Executive Officer
----------------------------
     John  P.  Mulcahy                              and  Co-President


    /s/    William  P.  McGinnis                    Co-Chief Executive Officer
--------------------------------
     William  P.  McGinnis                          and Co-President


    /s/    James  R.  Elsesser                      Vice President and Chief
------------------------------
     James  R.  Elsesser                            Financial Officer


    /s/    Anita  M.  Wray                          Vice  President  and
--------------------------
     Anita  M.  Wray                                Controller


    /s/    David  R.  Banks                         Director
---------------------------
     David  R.  Banks


    /s/    John  H.  Biggs                          Director
--------------------------
     John  H.  Biggs


    /s/    Donald  Danforth,  Jr.                   Director
---------------------------------
     Donald  Danforth,  Jr.



<PAGE>
SIGNATURE                                                     TITLE
---------                                                     -----




    /s/    William  H.  Danforth                    Director
--------------------------------
     William  H.  Danforth


    /s/    David  C.  Farrell                       Director
-----------------------------
     David  C.  Farrell


    /s/    M.  Darrell  Ingram                      Director
------------------------------
     M.  Darrell  Ingram


    /s/    Richard  A.  Liddy                       Director
-----------------------------
     Richard  A.  Liddy


    /s/    John  F.  McDonnell                      Director
------------------------------
     John  F.  McDonnell


    /s/    Katherine  D.  Ortega                    Director
--------------------------------
     Katherine  D.  Ortega


<PAGE>





                 RALSTON PURINA COMPANY SAVINGS INVESTMENT PLAN



     Pursuant  to  the  requirements  of  the  Securities  Act of 1933, the Plan
Administrator  of  the  Ralston  Purina Company Savings Investment Plan has duly
caused  this  registration  statement  to  be  signed  on  its  behalf  by  the
undersigned,  thereunto  duly  authorized,  in  the  City of St. Louis, State of
Missouri,  as  of  the  7th  day  of  August,  1998.

RALSTON  PURINA  COMPANY,
as  Plan  Administrator




By:              /s/  James  R.  Elsesser
       ----------------------------------
James  R.  Elsesser,  Vice  President  and
  Chief  Financial  Officer
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "secsgml_size_bytes": 17455}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "RALSTON PURINA CO", "cik": "0000081870", "assigned-sic": "2040", "irs-number": "430470580", "state-of-incorporation": "MO", "fiscal-year-end": "0930"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-61073", "film-number": "98680681"}, "business-address": {"street1": "CHECKERBOARD SQ", "city": "ST LOUIS", "state": "MO", "zip": "63164", "phone": "3149821000"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "CHECKERBOARD SQUARE", "city": "ST LOUIS", "state": "MO", "zip": "63164"}}
Registration No. ________

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D. C. 20549

                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      Under
                     THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED

                             RALSTON PURINA COMPANY
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

     Missouri                                                43-0470580
(State  or  other  jurisdiction  of                          (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation  or organization)                              Identification No.)

Checkerboard  Square,  St.  Louis,  MO                       63164
(Address of principal executive offices)                     (Zip Code)

                             RALSTON PURINA COMPANY
                             SAVINGS INVESTMENT PLAN
                            (Full title of the plan)

             J. M. Neville, Esq. Vice President and General Counsel
                             RALSTON PURINA COMPANY
                               Checkerboard Square
                            St. Louis, Missouri 63164
                     (Name and address of agent for service)
              Telephone Number of agent for service: (314) 982-1266
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
Proposed
                                         Proposed              maximum
Title of securities.  Amount to be   maximum offering      aggregate offering    Amount of
being registered . .  registered     price per share (a)         price        registration fee

Ralston Purina
Common Stock
 .10 par value . . .    500,000            $32                 $16,000,000         $ 4,720.00
[FN]
(a)       The average of the high and low prices of the Common Stock as reported
on  the  New  York  Stock  Exchange  on  July  31,  1998.
INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item  3.          Incorporation  of  Documents  by  Reference

     The  following  documents  filed  with  the Commission (File No. 1-4582) by
Ralston  Purina  Company  (hereinafter  the  "Company")  are  incorporated  by
reference:

(i)          Annual  Report  on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 1997,

(ii)     Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the periods  ended December 31, 1997
and March  31,  1998,

(iii)       Current Reports on Form 8-K dated December 3, 1997 and May 28, 1998,
and

(iv)       The description of the Registrant's shares of common stock, including
the  Rights  related to the shares as set forth in the Rights Agreement dated as
of  March  28, 1996 between the Registrant and Boatmen's Trust Company as Rights
Agent,  contained in the Registrant's Form 8-A Registration Statements under the
Securities  Exchange  Act  of  1934,  filed on June 7, 1993, as amended June 11,
1993,  and  on March 29, 1996, including any amendments or reports filed for the
purpose  of  updating  such  information.

     All  documents subsequently filed by the Company pursuant to Section 13(a),
13(c),  14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, prior to
the  filing  of  a  post-effective amendment which indicated that all securities
offered  have  been  sold  or  which  deregisters  all securities then remaining
unsold,  shall  be  deemed  to be incorporated by reference in this Registration
Statement  and  to  be  a part hereof from the date of filing of such documents.
Any statement incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or
superseded  for  purposes  of  this  Registration Statement to the extent that a
statement  contained  herein  or  in any other subsequently filed document which
also  is  deemed  to  be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes
such  statement.    Any  such  statement  so modified or superseded shall not be
deemed,  except  as  so  modified  or  superseded,  to  constitute  part of this
Registration  Statement.

Item  4.          Description  of  Securities.

     The  Registrant's  common  stock  is  registered  under  Section  12 of the
Securities  Exchange  Act  of  1934,  as  amended.

Item  5.          Interests  of  Named  Experts  and  Counsel.

     The  validity  of  the  issuance  of  the  securities and obligations being
registered  has  been  passed  upon  for  the  Registrant by J. M. Neville, Vice
President  and General Counsel for the Registrant.  Mr. Neville is paid a salary
by  the  Company  and  participates in various employee benefit plans offered to
employees  generally,  including  the  Ralston Purina Company Savings Investment
Plan, as well as in plans offered to a limited number of key employees.  At July
1,  1998,  Mr.  Neville  was  the  beneficial  owner  of  26,485  shares  of the
Registrant's  common stock, and options to purchase 125,537 additional shares of
common  stock.  Additionally, as of May 29, 1998, 442 shares of the Registrant's
common  stock  and  1,699  shares  of the Registrant's Series A ESOP Convertible
Preferred  Stock  were  allocated  to  Mr.  Neville's accounts under the Ralston
Purina  Company  Savings  Investment  Plan.

     The  financial  statements  incorporated  in this Registration Statement by
reference  to  the  Registrant's  Annual  Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
September  30,  1997,  have  been  so incorporated in reliance on the reports of
PricewaterhouseCoopers  LLP,  independent accountants, given on the authority of
said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.  PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP has
served as independent accountant to the Registrant since 1955, and has no equity
or  other  interest  in  Registrant.

Item  6.  Indemnification  of  Directors  and  Officers.

     Under  the  terms  of  Section  351.355  of  the  Missouri G.B.C.L. and the
Company's  Restated Articles of Incorporation, Ralston must indemnify any person
who  is  or  was  a  director,  officer or employee of the Company, or is or was
serving  at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee or agent
of  another  corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise,
against  any  and  all expenses, including attorneys' fees, judgments, fines and
amounts  paid  in  settlement,  actually  and  reasonably  incurred  by  him  in
connection  with  any  civil,  criminal, administrative or investigative action,
proceeding  or  claim (including an action by or in the right of the Company) by
reason  of  the  fact  that he is or was serving in such capacity, provided that
such person's conduct is not finally adjudged to have been knowingly fraudulent,
deliberately  dishonest  or  willful  misconduct.  As permitted by the Company's
Restated  Articles,  the  Company  has  entered  into contracts with each of its
directors  and  corporate  officers  guaranteeing the indemnification provisions
stated  in  the  Restated  Articles  and  providing  for  advancement  to  such
individuals of legal fees and other expenses necessary in defending against such
actions,  proceedings  or  claims.

     The  Company  has  directors'  and  officers' insurance which protects each
director  or  officer  from  liability  for  actions  taken in their capacity as
directors  or  officers.    This insurance may provide broader coverage for such
individuals  in  certain  situations  than  may be required by the provisions of
Section  351.355  or  the  Company's  Restated  Articles  of  Incorporation.

     The  foregoing  represents  a summary of the general effect of Missouri law
and  the  Company's  Restated  Articles of Incorporation for purposes of general
description only.  Additional information regarding indemnification of directors
and  officers  can  be  found  in  Section 351.355 of the Missouri G.B.C.L., the
Company's  Restated  Articles  of  Incorporation  and  its  pertinent  insurance
contracts.

Item  7.  Exemption  from  Registration  Claimed.

     Not  Applicable.
Item  8.  Exhibits.

     Exhibit  4.1          Ralston  Purina  Company  Savings  Investment  Plan.

     Exhibit  4.2          Ralston  Purina  Company  Retirement  Plan.

     Exhibit  5          Opinion of James M. Neville, Vice President and General
Counsel.

     Exhibit  23          Consent  of  Independent Certified Public Accountants.

Item  9.  Undertakings.

(a)          The  undersigned  registrant  hereby  undertakes:

     (1)  To  file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a
post  effective  amendment  to  this  registration  statement:

     (i)          to  include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the
Securities  Act  of  1933;

(ii)          to reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the
effective  date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective
amendment  thereof)  which,  individually  or  in  the  aggregate,  represent  a
fundamental  change  in  the  information  in  the  registration  statement;

(iii)          to  include  any material information with respect to the plan or
distribution  not  previously  disclosed  in  the  registration statement or any
material  change  to  such  information  in  the  registration  statement;

provided,  however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not apply if the
information  required  to  be  included  in  a post-effective amendment by those
paragraphs  is contained in periodic reports filed by the registrant pursuant to
Section  13  or  Section  15(d)  of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are
incorporated  by  reference  in  the  registration  statement.

     (2)  That for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities
Act  of  1933,  each  such  post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new
registration  statement  relating  to  the  securities  offered therein, and the
offering  of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide  offering  thereof.

     (3)  To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any
of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the
offering.

(b)       The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for the purposes of
determining  any  liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the
registrant's  annual  report  pursuant  to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the
Securities  Exchange  Act  of  1934  (and,  where  applicable, each filing of an
employee  benefit  plan's  annual  report  pursuant  to  Section  15(d)  of  the
Securities  Exchange  Act  of  1934)  that  is  incorporated by reference in the
registration  statement  shall  be  deemed  to  be  a new registration statement
relating  to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities
at  that  time  shall  be  deemed  to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(c)      Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities
Act  of  1933  may  be  required  with respect to directors, officers or persons
controlling  the Company pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the
registrant  has  been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange
Commission  such  indemnification  is  against public policy as expressed in the
Securities  Act  of  1933,  and  is
therefore  unenforceable.  In the event that a claim for indemnification against
such  liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred
or  paid  by  a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the
successful  defense  of  any  action,  suit  or  proceeding) is asserted by such
director,  officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being
registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter
has  been  settled  by  controlling  precedent, submit to a court of appropriate
jurisdiction  the  question whether such indemnification by it is against public
policy  as  expressed in the Securities Act of 1933, and will be governed by the
final  adjudication  of  such  issue.
SIGNATURES

     The  Registrant.    Pursuant  to  the requirements of the Securities Act of
1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it
meets  all  of  the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this
Registration  Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto
duly  authorized,  in  the  City  of  St.  Louis, Missouri, as of the 7th day of
August,  1998.

                             RALSTON PURINA COMPANY

By:          /s/ John P. Mulcahy          By:            /s/ William P. McGinnis
   -----------------------------             -----------------------------------
     John  P.  Mulcahy                                       William P. McGinnis
Co-Chief  Executive  Officer                          Co-Chief Executive Officer

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

     KNOW  ALL  MEN  BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears
below  constitutes  and appoints James M. Neville, Nancy E. Hamilton and Charles
S.  Sommer,  and  each of them, his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and
agents,  with  full  power of substitution and resubstitution, for and in his or
her  name,  place  and  stead,  in  any  and all capacities, to sign any and all
amendments  (including post-effective amendments), and to file the same with all
exhibits  thereto,  and  other  documents  in  connection  therewith,  with  the
Securities  and  Exchange  Commission,  granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and
agents,  and  each  of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and
every  act  and  thing  requisite  and  necessary  to  be  done in and about the
premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in
person,  hereby  ratifying  and  confirming  that all said attorneys-in-fact and
agents  or  any  of  them, or their or his or her substitute or substitutes, may
lawfully  do  or  cause  to  be  done  by  virtue  hereof.
Pursuant  to  the  requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration
statement  has  been signed by the following persons in the capacities described
as  of  August  7,  1998.

SIGNATURE                                                      TITLE
---------                                                      -----

    /s/    William  P.  Stiritz                     Chairman of the Board
-------------------------------
     William  P.  Stiritz                           and Director

    /s/    John  P.  Mulcahy                        Co-Chief Executive Officer
----------------------------
     John  P.  Mulcahy                              and  Co-President

    /s/    William  P.  McGinnis                    Co-Chief Executive Officer
--------------------------------
     William  P.  McGinnis                          and Co-President

    /s/    James  R.  Elsesser                      Vice President and Chief
------------------------------
     James  R.  Elsesser                            Financial Officer

    /s/    Anita  M.  Wray                          Vice  President  and
--------------------------
     Anita  M.  Wray                                Controller

    /s/    David  R.  Banks                         Director
---------------------------
     David  R.  Banks

    /s/    John  H.  Biggs                          Director
--------------------------
     John  H.  Biggs

    /s/    Donald  Danforth,  Jr.                   Director
---------------------------------
     Donald  Danforth,  Jr.
SIGNATURE                                                     TITLE
---------                                                     -----

    /s/    William  H.  Danforth                    Director
--------------------------------
     William  H.  Danforth

    /s/    David  C.  Farrell                       Director
-----------------------------
     David  C.  Farrell

    /s/    M.  Darrell  Ingram                      Director
------------------------------
     M.  Darrell  Ingram

    /s/    Richard  A.  Liddy                       Director
-----------------------------
     Richard  A.  Liddy

    /s/    John  F.  McDonnell                      Director
------------------------------
     John  F.  McDonnell

    /s/    Katherine  D.  Ortega                    Director
--------------------------------
     Katherine  D.  Ortega
RALSTON PURINA COMPANY SAVINGS INVESTMENT PLAN

     Pursuant  to  the  requirements  of  the  Securities  Act of 1933, the Plan
Administrator  of  the  Ralston  Purina Company Savings Investment Plan has duly
caused  this  registration  statement  to  be  signed  on  its  behalf  by  the
undersigned,  thereunto  duly  authorized,  in  the  City of St. Louis, State of
Missouri,  as  of  the  7th  day  of  August,  1998.

RALSTON  PURINA  COMPANY,
as  Plan  Administrator

By:              /s/  James  R.  Elsesser
       ----------------------------------
James  R.  Elsesser,  Vice  President  and
  Chief  Financial  Officer