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culars given in Tables I and II of this report, it will be seen that no
samples were obtained for analysis during the fourth quarter of the
year, ending March 31st, 1893; but I believe that arrangements have
been made by which samples will in future be more regularly and
systematically purchased for analysis. To the desirability of this I
ventured to call attention in my report for the previous year. Apart
from the punitive effect of the legal proceedings' in cases of proved
adulteration, the moral influence of an organised system of periodical
collection of samples (of all kinds of foods and drugs in common use)
is doubtless distinctly protective to the inhabitants of a parish. And
the practice, which is customary in some districts, of sending letters
of caution to vendors of samples certified to be of a suspicious
character, or of a poor or of an inferior quality, and of articles found
to be slightly adulterated for the first time ("first offences"), might
with advantage be adopted.
The Annual Reports of the Local Government Board show that
but little advantage is taken of the clause of the Sale of Food and
Drugs Act, 187"), by which private purchasers are enabled to submit
samples to Public Analysts: thus, of the 29,028 samples analysed
throughout England and Wales during the year 1891, all but 177
were taken by officers of local authorities. No samples coming
under this clause have been submitted to me during the year ending
March 31st, 1893.
It is satisfactory to observe that the proportion of adulterated to
total samples analysed (all articles together) during the year ended on
March 31st, 1893, as shown by Table II, is much lower than in the
preceding year; but due regard must be had to the circumstance that
the total number of samples examined in 1892-93 was very considerably
less than in 1891-92. Had the total number for 1892-93 been
greater, a very different ratio might have resulted; and the value of
the comparison between the two years is thus somewhat discounted.
Nevertheless, the figures are clearly indicative of a decided improvement,
as regards purity, with respect to several of the articles
examined. This applies especially to milk and coffee, of each of
which a considerable number of samples received attention ; also, in
some degree, to butter, of which, however, fewer samples were
analysed. The improvement in the case of coffee was so marked,
that reference was made to it in my quarterly report, dated December,
31st, 1892. Further remarks on this subject will be found below.
Milk.—Of the forty-nine samples of milk submitted to analysis,
three samples were certified to be adulterated, and eight samples
were reported to be of poor or inferior quality. The proportions of
added water in the samples returned as adulterated were, respectively,
18, 26 and 42 per cent.; and the sample containing 42 per cent. of
extraneous water had also been deprived of 42 per cent. of fat. it is
probable that some of the samples described as "poor" or inferior
were not free from sophistication: but as Public Analysts are compelled,
by circumstances beyond their control, to form conclusions