202 Master Minds of Modern Science 



whatever. Jam was found to be artificially dyed and to 

 contain salicylic acid, while wines too were adulterated 

 with the same acid and with glucose. A sample of 

 anchovy paste contained fourteen per cent, of ash, mainly 

 iron oxide, this having been added to colour the paste. 



Worst of all were the Easter eggs made of chocolate 

 which generally contained glass, zinc, copper, and saw- 

 dust, and the custard powder containing more than a 

 trace of arsenic. 



The scope of the work done by the Government 

 Laboratory is immense. Indeed, there is hardly any 

 Government Department which does not at times make 

 calls upon it. The Public Prosecutor, the Record Office, 

 and even the Geological Survey all employ the services 

 of its analysts. 



Often it is the duty of the Public Prosecutor to proceed 

 against forgers. In such a case the only evidence against 

 the accused may be the forged cheque, and it is the task 

 of the prosecution to prove that this is a forgery, with 

 the aid of the Government Laboratory. There is a 

 department in the Laboratory where the visitor is shown 

 cheques, or rather enlarged photographs of cheques, 

 which have been sent for this purpose. And if the forger 

 only knew how clearly his forgery shows up under the 

 camera and the ultra-violet rays he would certainly think 

 twice before attempting another such swindle. In one 

 case the amount of a cheque for thirty-one pounds had 

 been changed to one hundred and thirty-one. The figure 

 i had been inserted and the word ' one ' written in. 

 Then all the writing on the cheque had been gone over 

 carefully with Indian ink. The original was good enough 

 to deceive a bank cashier, but the photograph showed up 

 the forgery so plainly that a child could see it. 



Since the tax was put upon bets, dishonest bookmakers 

 have frequently altered the books in which they kept 

 record of their transactions, in order to avoid paying the 



