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115
were genuine, but a raisin wine was reported inferior as it
consisted merely of a coloured and flavoured sugar solution
and contained '200 parts of benzoic acid per million, this
preservative being permitted in such an article. This
sample is typical of the sort of stuff that is sometimes
sold as " British wine."
Drugs.
A large selection of drugs—47 in 19 varieties—were
analysed during the year and of these seven failed to satisfy
the requirements of the British Pharmacopoeia or the British
Pharmaceutical Codex.
An ammoniated tincture of quinine was deficient in
ammonia to the extent of 16 per cent. of the correct amount;
this is not a serious deficiency in view of the volatility of
the ammonia.
An iodine ointment was 100 per cent. deficient in iodine
and 90 per cent. deficient in potassium iodide and in my
opinion was worthless for the purposes for which iodine
ointment is used. In a previous report reference was made
to the dangers attendant upon the use of such preparations,
which possess none of the antiseptic properties of the real
article. Another iodine preparation—iodine paint—contained only 1.01 per cent. of iodine in place of the 2 per cent.
which, in my opinion, is the minimum quantity which
should have been used to render the preparation at all
effective for the purposes for which it is intended.
A sample of Parrish's chemical food was found to consist
entirely of compound glycerin of thymol, a substitution
which probably represents the result of gross carelessness
on the part of the chemist who sold it. Fortunately, compound glycerin of thymol is not poisonous, but when taken
in mistake for Parrish's chemical food is not only worthless
as a tonic, but is likely seriously to impair the digestion.
A spirit of sal volatile was 19 per cent. deficient in
ammonia and 12 per cent.deficient in carbon dioxide.