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per cent. of water, as there was an informality in the
purchase; so that there was only one prosecution when the
defendent was fined 20s. The sample of Water was procured from
a well on the premises of a cowkeeper and was very bad, as
it contained 101 grains of total solids per gallon, of which
nearly 10 grains were of chlorides.
During the quarter ending 31st December.—The articles
analysed were Water 2, Sweets 6, Milk 8, Cocoa 9, Mustard 3
and Oatmeal 2. One sample of Milk was mixed with 7
per cent. of Water; 1 with 8 per cent. and another with
18 per cent. One sample of Mustard was adulterated with
50 per cent of a mixture of flour, tumeric and cayenne.
All the samples brought to me during the quarter have
been supplied by the Inspector; the 2 samples of Water were
taken from pumps in two cowkeepers yards, and contained
a large amount of ammonia, chlorides, and other evidences
of sewer contamination. The whole of the sweets were genuine
and the colouring matter was of vegetable origin. The samples
of Milk as usual furnished the largest proportion of adulteration,
as 3 out of the 8 were adulterated, one to the extent of 18
per cent. and the others of 7 and 8 per cent. two also were
poor, the total solids being just under 12 per cent.; there
was not any adulteration except water. The whole of the
samples of Cocoa, except one, were sold as being a mixture
of cocoa, arrowroot and sugar, the exception being a Cocoa
Essence which was genuine, that is to say, pure Cocoa
deprived of some of its fat. The quantity of starch in the
other samples varied between 67 and 80 per cent. so that,
allowing for the sugar there was not in some of them more
than 10 per cent of Cocoa. Whether or not it is legal
to sell as "Soluble Cocoa" an article containing only from
10 to 15 per cent. of Cocoa I am not prepared to say, but
in my opinion it should be sold as "Arrowroot" flavoured