View report page

124
office (clerical) work.
being used in many kinds of foods cannot be adduced in evidence regarding any one
sample, and yet that fact has a most important bearing on the question.
There is a strong suspicion that in certain cases preservatives are used because some of the
ingredients have been kept just long enough at the time of manufacture, and that the preservatives
are required to stop incipient decomposition and to mask the evidences (taste, smell, &c.)
of such changes. The preservative will not neutralise the chemical poisons present in consequence
of such incipient decomposition.
In other countries—notably the United States of America—preservatives are prohibited.
It is time that the question was seriously taken up by the Government, and adequate restrictions
imposed upon the drugging of the food supply.
Milk and Cream Regulations.—The Regulations of 1912 prohibit the addition of any
preservative to milk, but allow the addition of certain preservatives to cream subject to compliance
with the requirements as to declaration of such addition. All the samples of milk were examined
with a view to the detection of preservatives, and in 3 samples benzoate of soda (probably in the
form of Friars' Balsam) was found to be present. The routine prescribed by the Regulations was
carried out and ultimately proceedings were taken against the vendor of the samples, who was
fined £10 with costs. The penalty under the Regulations is an amount not exceeding £100.
No samples of cream were taken during the year.
Facing of Rice and Pearl Barley.—In consequence of a communication received from the
Borough Council of Kensington, a number of samples of both these commodities was obtained
and submitted to examination. None of the samples of rice and only one of those of pearl
barley showed evidence of the presence of facing matter (probably talc) in excess of the amount
(0.5 per cent.) suggested in the report of Dr. Hamill to the Local Government Board.
Dried Haddock.—It may come as a surprise to learn that even the London-cured haddock
cannot escape from the attention of sophisticators. A special dye—apparently derived indirectly
from the gas-works—is on the market for securing a tempting golden hue to the smoked fish,
and, it is suspected, for economising the cost of smoking.
Rag Flock Act.—Forty-eight samples were taken under this Act, 16 being described as
from "re-makes" and 32 from new material. In the latter samples the maximum impurity
found present was equivalent to 70 parts of chlorine per 100,000 parts of rag flock and the
minimum 81/3 parts. In the re-makes the maximum impurity was equivalent to 280 parts and
the minimum 12½ parts. The decision given in the case of Jordan v. Gamble has practically
rendered the Act useless as regards re-makes. The Act requires amendment, both as regards
re-makes and as to the definition of the term "rag flock," to make it workable.
OFFICE (CLERICAL) WORK.
The appended summary relating to the work of the Clerical Staff is submitted as evidence
of the work of the Staff, and not as a complete record of its activities. Numerical statements
cannot be submitted of the multifarious tasks of preparing reports, posting-up indices in various
forms, and generally recording the work of the Department for future reference. The records and
correspondence entailed by the Tuberculosis Regulations and the Insurance Act are already of
considerable dimensions, and will be much increased by the impending schemes for the treatment
of tuberculosis in the general population. The demand for daily, weekly and special returns to
central authorities takes up much time which would otherwise be available for work of a more
local character. Daily returns of the notified cases of infectious illness are sent to the