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46
Proceedings were taken against 31 persons for adulteration or other offences, the fines and
costs inflicted amounting to £37 18s. 6d.
The samples collected were as follows:—

Preserved Peas.—In three instances during the year proceedings were instituted against
persons who had sold peas containing copper sulphate. In the first case a fine of 10s. with 10s. 6d.
costs was inflicted, the amount of copper present having been certified as equivalent to 1-794 grains
of the crystallised sulphate per pound. In the two remaining cases, which were defended, the
amounts certified were equivalent to 1-656 grains, and 1-518 grains of copper sulphate per pound.
For the defence it was urged that the summonses were bad, because they described the offence
as a sale of peas certified to contain copper sulphate, whereas no such statement appeared on the
analyst's certificate. It was further claimed and admitted that even if some copper sulphate had
in fact been present in the peas, it could not in any case have contributed more than a small and
unknown fraction of the total amount of copper certified as present by the analyst. The Bench
was accordingly asked to find that the offence alleged in the summons had not been committed.
After retiring to consider the evidence, the magistrates dismissed both cases without comment and
without costs. Under these circumstances the results do not in any way justify the assumption that
it had not been proved to the satisfaction of the Bench that the presence of copper in the peas
to the extent certified by the Public Analyst was injurious to health.
Salicylic Acid in Lime Juice.—Out of 8 samples of lime juice cordial which were taken
during the year, four proved to contain salicylic acid in quantities varying from 2-62 grains to
613 grains per pint. In view of the suggestion of the Departmental Committee on Preservatives
in Food "that salicylic acid be not used in a greater proportion than 1 grain per pint in liquid
food," and that its presence in all cases should be declared, I recommended the institution of
proceedings against a firm of large wholesale vendors, whose lime juice cordial had been certified
to contain more than six times the amount of salicylic acid permitted in the finding of the Departmental
Committee. The depressing effects of salicylic acid in medicinal doses of 5 to 10 grains
are well known, but the difficulty of furnishing positive proof of demonstrable injury to health when
the drug is taken in smaller quantities is considerable. Under these circumstances the Public Health