Sir Robert Robertson 199 



of thirty-two per cent, of moisture is closely adhered to. 

 This thirty-two per cent, includes the natural moisture of 

 the leaf, which varies from thirteen to seventeen per cent. 

 Tobacco factories are inspected by Government officials, 

 and any manufacturer who attempted to sell tobacco 

 adulterated with " leaves, herbs, plants, moss, weeds, 

 ground or powdered wood, chicory, etc/' — as the Statute 

 runs — would soon be detected and heavily fined. 



The Laboratory has ovens for drying tobacco and 

 enabling its workers to estimate exactly the amount of 

 moisture. There are also special furnaces for carbonizing 

 tobacco, so that the proportion of ash can be estimated. 

 The tobacco to be burned is placed upon dishes made of 

 silica, which is unaffected by heat. 



It is interesting to know that it was tobacco adultera- 

 tion which first made the authorities feel a need for the 

 help of the chemist, and thus came about the erection of 

 a small Government laboratory in 1843. This was the 

 modest beginning of the present institution. 



One of the principal tasks of the Government Labora- 

 tory is to protect the people of this kingdom from being 

 swindled or poisoned by adulterated food and drink. 

 Adulteration of food is one of the oldest crimes. We have 

 records of flour being adulterated as long ago as the reign 

 of King John. The Adulteration of Coffee Act of 1718 

 refers to evil-disposed persons who make use of water, 

 grease, butter, and suchlike materials for addition to 

 coffee, " whereby the same is rendered unwholesome and 

 greatly increased in weight, to the prejudice of His 

 Majesty's revenue and the health of his subjects/ ' 



In 1843 Mr Phillips of the Inland Revenue stated that 

 there were in London alone at least half a dozen factories 

 for the purpose of redrying tea leaves. These spent 

 leaves were mixed with those of sloe, sycamore, horse- 

 chestnut, and other plants, and coloured with green 

 vitriol and indigo, and gave a most poisonous brew. 



