View report page

46
cases had any preservative been used; the practice formerly prevailing ot adding
boric acid to milk has become unpopular among dairymen. In two cases small
quantities of formalin were discovered.
Butter.—Including test samples, and also samples of "bread and butter,"
155 samples were analysed; of these, II, or 7 per cent., were certified as
adulterated. One only had an excess of water; the other 10 were either
margarines or mixtures of margarine and butter. Boric acid is still used largely
as a preservative of butter. 107, or 69 per cent. of the samples examined,
contained boric acid up to 38 grains per lb.
Cream.—At the present time a considerable amount of attention is being
paid to cream. It is believed that certain brands are thickened with lime,
sweetened with saccharin, and preserved with salicylic, benzoic acids or other
preservative. Nine creams were analysed during the year; in two, boric acid up
to 067 per cent. was found, but they were all otherwise genuine.
Drugs.—Experience has shown that at the present day the drugs sold
retail, although variable in quality, are seldom wilfully adulterated. The 30
samples of drugs submitted were genuine, save a sample of Gregory's powder;
the powder should have contained 60 per cent. magnesia, and it only contained
56 per cent., an evidence of carelessness rather than fraud, for of the components
of Gregory's powder, magnesia is the cheapest.
Canned Goods.—It will be seen by the table that quite a considerable
number of articles preserved in tins were examined. Some canned apricots
contained tin up to 0.4 grain per lb. All fruits are more or less acid, and it is
impracticable to treat tin in such a manner as to prevent small quantities of the
metal being dissolved. Hence no fruit whatever should be preserved in tinned
vessels. On the other hand, glass or earthenware receptacles are so much
heavier than tin that the cost of carriage is materially increased. We may hope
for some new material to be invented, insoluble in acids, which may replace tin.
As things are, it is advisable not to buy preserved fruits in anything but glass or
porcelain.
The other samples require no comment.
A. WYNTER BLYTH,
Public Analyst.
3, Upper Gloucester Place, N.W.,
March 2nd, 1910.