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21
The six Butters were at least genuine and that is sometimes
all that can be said of them.
Three Mustards were excellent.
As it was your wish that Sweetmeats should be occasionally
examined, Mr. Errington brought me two varieties. Nothing could
be said against them except in respect to dirt, which was the
prevailing feature in one.
In conclusion, I have subjected live Violet Powders to analysis.
Of these three were genuine, according to my ideas, and consisted
of scented starch: the other two were made up of scented sulphate
of lime, and the best part of them were the attractive covers.
I may explain my reason for considering violet powder as a drug.
Starch is a drug, and under the head of starch I find the following
comment in Peter Squire's Companion to the British Pharmacopoeia:
''in the form of violet powder, which is merely scented starch,
"it (starch) is useful to prevent the low inflammation that may
"be caused by the chafing of the skin." It now appears that
violet powder may be made up of any non-injurious powder.
Nevertheless, I would strongly recommend all who are interested
in the matter, to ask for scented starch when they require violet
powder as it is thus sold by all reputable chemists.
On the whole, the working of the Act has been beneficial, and
I think progress may be reported in almost every article with
reference to diminished adulteration.
I remain, Gentlemen,
Yours faithfully,
ALBERT J. BERNAYS.
Chemical Laboratory,
St. Thomas's Hospital
Medical and Surgical College, S.E.
June, 1879.