18 



ABSTRACT OF A PAPER 



BEAT) KY 



CHARLES HEISCH, Esq., F.C.S, 



CALLED 



A CHAT ABOUT THE SALE OF FOOD AND DRUGS ACT, 



22nd march, 1883. 



The author began by saying that, at first, he did not quite 

 see how his subject came within the scope of the Society, but 

 having been bred in habits of obedience to the powers that be, 

 when the President asked for a paper on this subject, he decided 

 to give it. 



He first drew attention to some statistics concerning the 

 working of the Act, drawn from the yearly reports of the analysts 

 throughout the country. It appears that the number of samples 

 analysed in 1879 was 16,772, and in 1880, 17,919. The per cent- 

 ages of adulteration in various articles were then given, from 

 which it appeared that 



In milk, it had decreased between 1877 & 1880 irom 26-07 to 22 

 In butter, it had increased „ „ 12-48 to 20-08 



In groceries, it had decreased „ „ 13-00 to 10-43 



In drugs, „ „ „ 23-82 to 20-26 



In wine and spirits, .„ „ „ 47 to 21-31 



In bread and flour, „ „ „ 6*8 to 6-3 



After having been as low as 2*9 in 1878. 

 The great diiference in wine and spirits was partly due to 

 the fact that the Goverment had authorized gin of 35 under proof 

 being sold as gin, while formerly it would have been called gin 

 and water. 



The increase of adulteration in butter was partly due to 

 improved methods of manufacturing butteriue, and partly due to 

 improved methods of detection. 



A comparison was then made between the per centage of 

 adulteration in different articles in London, the other large towns, 

 and in the country, from which it appeared that milk was most 



