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due fco the presence of tin had ever been questioned. It raised really a very important
point. The appearance of the tins and of the contents was such as would
pass muster by the most expert examiners. Chemical examination would not have
been made if we had not received information that the tins had been on the wharves
for several years.
It is therefore possible that canned goods may be sold after the most careful
examination, and yet contain tin and lead in such large proportions as to be quite
unfit for human consumption.
Cocoa Beans.—On March 2nd I received a communication from the owners of
the Metropolitan Wharf stating that Dr. Williams, the Medical Officer of Health
of the Port, of London, had seized three parcels of Cocoa Beans, which consisted of
386 bags. It was admitted that some of the beans were good and some were bad.
In their communication to me they requested permission to have the consignment
landed at their wharf for the pur-pose of sorting the sound from the unsound beans.
The reason given was that it would be very much cheaper than to land it somewhere
in the Docks, the wharf not being so heavy as the Dock dues. The sorting
was to be done under my supervision and to my satisfaction. My reply was that I
had no objection, provided Dr. Williams's consent in writing be first obtained. This
was done, and the consignment was released by him on the understanding that it
should be garbled under my supervision. I visited the wharf by appointment on
March 9th to superintend the process of sorting. I found that the beans in 277
bags were sound, and I at once released them. In the remaining 109 bags there was
a large percentage of unsound beans. Unfortunately the brokers who represented
the owners denied that any of the cocoa was bad, and said that no garbling was
required. I refused to release the remaining 109 bags until they had carried out
their part of the agreement to sort out the unsound beans and to have them
destroyed. The brokers admitted that some of the beans were mouldy, yet these
even were quite fit for human food. Later, the brokers produced a certificate from
an analyst which stated that 6 J per cent, of the beans were mouldy and 1J per
cent, were rotten. They now claimed that it was impossible to sort the beans.
This, of course, was absurd, and besides, I called their attention to the fact that I
only allowed them to be landed in this district for the purpose of being sorted.
Under the circumstances, I would not release them unless their part of the agreement
had been carried out or at the request of the Medical Officer of Health of the
Port of London. The alternative would be to have the matter decided at the Police
Court.
I informed the owners that I would apply at the Thames Police Court on a
certain day to have an order to destroy as unfit or food the contents of the 109
bags. Before the date, however, the owners consented to garble the beans. This
was done under my supervision, and the unsound beans were afterwards destroyed.