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10
vinegar, 3 of flour, 3 of ground ginger, 4 of isinglass, 3 of sago, 3 of
Scotch whiskey, 6 of porter, 3 of tapioca, 3 of arrowroot, 10 of
mustard, 9 of butter, 5 of tea, 3 of coffee, 4 of pepper, and 4 of
oatmeal. Six samples of milk, 1 sample of bread, 2 samples of
vinegar, 2 of isinglass, 3 of arrowroot, 1 sample of coffee, and 1 of
pepper were adulterated. The milks were adulterated with water,
the bread with alum, the vinegar with sulphuric acid (over and
above the quantity allowed by law, viz., 1 part sulphuric acid in
1,000 parts vinegar.) It would be better to describe the isinglasses
as substitutions, since they consisted entirely of gelatine ; the same
remark applies to the arrowroots, as they were composed of potato
starch. The coffee was mixed with chicory, and the pepper with
sand. No proceedings were taken, as the adulterated articles, I am
informed by the Inspectors, were purchased under circumstances
which would have rendered a conviction improbable. The
remainder of the samples were genuine.
I am,
Gentlemen,
Your obedient Servant,
GEORGE ARTHUR ROGERS,
Medical Officer of Health,
and Food Analyst.
Board of Works Offices, 1877.