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The Food section has been more satisfactory in that it poses
problems and difficulties which—if not always completely soluble—at
least in a spirit of informality and compromise achieved relative solution.
The formal and informal samples covered a wide range and established
the high standing of our food supplies.
The number and nature of the complaints received from the general
public shows that the part played by this department is recognised.
The Drug sampling side of the work is at once satisfactory and less
satisfactory. The many popularly advertised preparations sampled have
been established by the Analyst to contain what they purported to
contain and hence to be genuine.
In some instances their claims might be described with moderation
as being optimistic especially when they enter—or claim to enter—the
field of prevention against common diseases with ill-defined or unknown
causes. The onus of proof that any claims are in the legal sense misleading
is however, heavy and not to be lightly embarked upon.
A review of our work during the year has in this connection
therefore, proved interesting and informative but to some extent unrewarding.
A new scale of fees for Public Analysts was approved, viz: from
21/- to 28/- for milk samples and from 35/- to 50/- for other samples.
I must express my indebtedness to the Public Analysts, Mr. George
Taylor, O.B.E., F.R.I.C., and Dr. J. Hubert Hamence, M.Sc., Ph.D.,
F.R.I.C., for their helpful and ready advice in the many difficulties
which necessarily crop up in this highly specialised branch of our work.
The under-noted tables are self-explanatory.