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26
Analyst's Reports.
TO MIDSUMMER, 1886.
Analytical Laboratory,
Vestry Hall, Harrow Road, W.,
July 21st, 1886.
To the Vestry of the Parish of St. Matthew, Bethnal Green.
Chairman and Gentlemen,—A total of 43 samples of Drugs and
Liquids has been submitted to me for analysis by your Inspectors
during the past quarter. These consisted of 24 samples of Drugs
and 19 of Mineral Waters.
This is the first quarter, I think, in which no sample has been
found to be adulterated. Such a fact speaks well for the Druggists
as a class of traders; theirs is a position of great responsibility; and
having, as they do, to undergo an examination as to their fitness
before being allowed to dispense, the public has some guarantee of
personal character from them. It is very satisfactory to find this
guarantee borne out by facts. The drugs tested included those most
frequently used, such as quinine, jalap, rhubarb, and paregoric.
This last is a somewhat complicated mixture, containing opium,
benzoic acid, camphor, oil of anise, and alcohol. All were of proper
strength and possessed the properties and qualities prescribed by the
British Pharmacopœa.
In the examination of the Mineral Waters special attention was
given to the search for any mineral impurities that might be present,
such as lead or copper, dissolved off the fittings of the apparatus
used in the manufacture. No such impurities were found, showing
that care had been given to have these fittings properly tinned. Not
long since a report was raised in Parliament that some temperance