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Drugs.—36 samples embracing 13 varieties of drugs were all found genuine.
The English pharmacist, like other people, occasionally makes mistakes, e.g.;
sometimes he is tempted to buy his drugs at too cheap a rate; sometimes from keeping
too long, certain preparations lose their strength; but wilful adulteration is extremely
uncommon, and as a class he is above suspicion. This one would expect, because the
English chemist is a highly educated man, selected by a severe examination; each
year the practice of pharmacy demands more and more scientific knowledge, a large
proportion of the drugs now in use, not being extracted from plants or minerals, but
synthetised artificially.
Conclusion. The brief summary above given will show that the administration
of the Sale of Food and Drugs Acts in Marylebone, continues in a systematic manner
to protect the consumer from fraud, and that no one who regularly sells an article of
food, drink or drugs, in any way sophisticated will long escape detection.
A. WYNTER BLYTH.
March 1st., 1912.
The following table summarizes the information contained in the table submitted
formally by the Public Analyst.
ANALYSES UNDER THE SALE OF FOOD AND DRUGS ACTS
DURING 1911.
SUMMARY.
Article. Genuine. Adulterated.
Milk 499 48
Skimmed Milk 2 1
Butter 337 14
Bread and Butter 1 2
Butter and Margarine 1 —
Cream 55 —
Cheese 11 —
Margarine 10 —
Bacon 2 —
Coffee 21 2
Cocoa 7 —
Pepper 3 —
Mustard 12 —
Bloater Paste 1 —
Standard Bread 1 —
Baking Powder 3 —
Cream of Tartar 2 —
Custard Powder 2 —
Jam 25 —
Honey 1 —