192 PROCEEDINGS OF THE CHEMICAL DEPARTMENT. 



to suspect that the two materials used in making the mixture 

 were themselves of very low quality. The price at which this 

 cake was offered was £10 10s., while its value certainly could 

 not have exceeded £8, allowing the bran to be worth £6 per 

 ton. 



The other sample was of a very different kind. The eye at 

 once detected adulteration, and the suspicion which was then 

 excited was abundantly con tinned by analysis. The substance 

 used in this case was one of the great family of grasses, 

 but the species I have been unable to identify. It most 

 nearly resembles the oat, and is probably the seed of some 

 of the cultivated grasses ; but I need scarcely say that it 

 is not possible to ascertain with certainty to which of the 

 almost endless number of species it belongs. The adultera- 

 tion in this case was extremely rude, so much so that the 

 gentleman by whom it was sent for analysis at once suspected 

 it, but as a proof of the careless manner in which such articles 

 are too often bought, he tells me that, at least, 50 tons had been 

 sold in his immediate neighbourhood.* 



Another adulterating material has been used in a cake 

 manufactured at Tilsit, of which the following is an analysis : — 



In this case the cake looked well, but it contained some 

 bran, and a large quantity of some seed which has a close re- 

 semblance to rice, and which it was at first supposed might be 

 the refuse of that substance, but I am now inclined to think it 

 is some grass seed, though what species it is I cannot pretend 

 to say. The price of this cake was £8 15s., which no doubt is 

 far above its value, as the adulterating article was probably a 

 refuse of little or no value. 



* Since this was written, I have ascertained tliat this cake was produced from 

 an " inferior" linseed, a sample of which I found to contain 42 per cent, of grans 

 seed, the greater part of which was identical with that I had detected in the cako. 

 I have been unable, as yet, to ascertain the species cf grass, but hope to do so. 



