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PUBLIC ANALYSTS REPORT.
. The Laboratory.
Sale of Food and Drugs Acts.
(See Table below.)
Nearly 1,000 samples of all kinds were analysed, but the
greatest proportion of the samples were those coming under the
general denomination of "dairy produce."
Milk.
Out of 452 samples of milk, 38 were returned as adulterated,
which is in the proportion of a little more than 4 per cent.
The adulteration was mainly diluting beyond the standard
and abstracting fat. In one case the fat was abstracted so
perfectly as to justify a certificate of 86 per cent. abstraction.
The defendant was fined £10 and costs. Up to the present the
fine has not been recovered, the defendant having disappeared.
It is interesting to observe that most of the London milks
are artificially coloured with aniline dyes. On the other hand it
is rare to find coloured milk in certain counties such for instance
as the County of Devon. The writer is of opinion that all
colouring matter added to milk should be prohibited.
Butter.
Of 134 samples of butter, 4 were certified to be adulterated;
the offences were mainly the selling of margarine in the place of
butter, most of the butters contained no borax, a few contained
borax, but the amount was small, under 20 grains.
Alcoholic Liquids.
Eighty-four samples of spirits were examined, and of these
six were found to be diluted below the standard strength. The
whiskies were blends of various qualities. It was not thought
desirable to certify to blends as adulterated simply because they
contained silent spirit until the question has been finally
disposed of as to whether, under the term, whisky is included a
spirit with most of the higher alcohols removed by the patent
still. It is interesting to observe that a certain number of medical
men ascribe high medicinal powers to the furfural and to the
higher alcohols. I doubt much whether these opinions are
sound; hitherto all research has shown that the higher the
alcohol the more poisonous. A man who has so far forgotten
himself as to get very drunk on whisky is far more likely to