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105
October 16th. Unofficial sample Genuine.
22nd. „ „ „
„ 24th. „ „ „
„ 26th. „ „ „
„ 31st. „ „ Margarine.
„ 31st. (Later), official samples „
In another case the vendor wrote explaining that the sale of
margarine was due to a mistake, but a further series taken before the
hearing produced the same result.
Margarine was served in three eating-houses when bread and butter
was asked for, but butter was supplied in 29. Three persons were
summoned for serving margarine in an unmarked wrapper.
Two hundred and fifty-three samples of butter were obtained, 14
were inferior, and 12 adulterated.
For giving a false warranty a penalty of £20 was imposed; at the
same time, there was a further fine of £10 for selling margarine instead
of butter, and delivering it in a wrapper not properly marked.
Sausages, Meat Pies, &c.—In my Annual Report for 1908 the
judgment of Mr. Mead was stated in the case of McNair v. Hayward, in
which a pork sausage was sold containing 224 grains of boric acid per
lb. Mr. Mead in convicting under section 6 of the Food and Drugs Act
held that the article was not of the nature substance and quality
demanded.
An appeal was entered against this conviction and was heard
before Mr. Robert Wallace, K.C., at the Sessions. Mr. M'Call, K.C.,
and Mr. T. C. Bartley represented the Council, Mr. Bousfield, K.C. and
Mr. Clarke Hall the appellant. Evidence in support of the Council was
given by Prof. Kenwood, Dr. J. M. Bernstein, Dr. Lenane, Mr. Cecil
Cribb and myself, to the effect—
(1) Boric Acid is not a food or a constituent part of the body
and cannot be converted so as to be useful for nutrition.
(2) From the want of flavour the public are unable to judge
how much of the drug has been added.
(3) Its use is unnecessary if good and suitable materials and
proper methods of manufacture are employed—54 samples out of a
total of 76 pork sausages were found to contain no preservative.
(4) Boric Acid is a medicinal agent and no drug can be taken
without interfering more or less seriously with the chemical and
physiological processes of the body.
(5) The use of preservatives in sausages is a source of danger,
in that they mask the presence of any putrefaction or decomposition
which may have taken place in the meat.