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Health which could arbitrate in such matters and guide analysts and manufacturers, rather
than make it necessary for these cases to be decided in Court.
Of the five samples of gelatine submitted, two were found to contain excessive quantities
of arsenic. Arsenic is sometimes used in the treatment of hides, either as a preservative or for
dehairing them, and scraps from the leather industry are used for the preparation of gelatine.
It is claimed by many experts that the use of arsenic for these purposes is unnecessary; but it is
certain that any hide which has been treated with arsenic should be discarded and not passed
on for the purposes of making food products.
Owing to a complaint from a neighbouring borough that tins of sild, emanating from a
wholesale store in the Borough contained an excessive amount of tin, 14 tins were examined, and
of these G were found to contain from 2.2—3.5 grains of tin per lb. All the tins were found
to be corroded on the inside, and the whole batch was condemned.
One sample of malt vinegar was found to consist of artificial vinegar.
Of the 20 samples of beers and spirits, 2 samples of gin were found to contain an excessive
amount of water. The Food and Drugs (Adulteration) Act, 1928, requires that no spirits shall
be sold which are less than 35% under proof. Owing to the desire of publicans and their wholesalers
to obtain the maximum profit on spirits, there is a growing tendency to dilute them to
as nearly 35% under proof as possible, with the result that the amount of water is sometimes
just above the limit.
The quality of drugs examined this year is superior to that of the last few years, and it
is to be hoped that this improvement will be maintained. Only two out of fifty samples of drugs
were reported against. These were a sample of Black Draught, which contained an excess of
Epsom salts to the extent of 35%, and of powdered rhubarb where the ash was 18% as compared
with the maximum of 15% permitted by the British Pharmacopoeia. A sample of sulphur ointment
containing 10.9% of sulphur was reported genuine, although the Pharmacopoeia formula
demands 10.0% only. In cases such as these it must be borne in mind that the active ingredient
may be less expensive than the ointment base, and that there may be a tendency to err on the
side of allowing too much of a drug in consequence.
With the advent of the New Year the Addendum, 1936, to the British Pharmacopoeia,
1932, will come into operation, and will make some of the tests more reliable and simpler in
manipulation than formerly. At the same time, tests such as those requiring cod-liver oil to
be examined for vitamin activity by means of the spectrum absorption test for Vitamin A and
by biological assay in the case of Vitamin D will tend to result in increased, rather than decreased,
possibilties of controlling important drug-foods.
The beginning of the New Year also marks the introduction of the methylene-blue test
for Tuberculin-Tested milk and for Accredited milk instead of the former method of making
bacteriological plate counts.