IIT 



TWELFTH ORDINARY MEETING. 



Royal Institution, April 14, 1856. 



The Eev. H. H. HIGGINS, M.A., in the Chair. 



The Rev. H. H. Higgins exhibited several Jewish Coins, the shekel, 

 however, being accounted, by the Rev. A. Fischel, modern. 



Dr. Thomson read a communication on the Proceedings of the 

 Liverpool Compass Committee. 



The following paper was then read : — 



ON THE ADULTERATIONS OF FOOD, 

 By H. SUGDEN EVANS, F.C.S., and NEWTON SAMUELSON, F.C.S. 



The attention of the public has been much directed of late to the 

 subject of the adulteration of food, by the appearance of a series of 

 articles in the Lancet, purporting to be the reports of a commission 

 duly appointed to investigate the subject, and more recently, by the 

 re-appearance of these papers in a book. The statements they con- 

 tain have very naturally excited alarm, and the subject was thought 

 of sufficient importance last year to warrant the appointment of a par- 

 liamentary committee, whose sittings are at present being held. 



At all times the subject of adulterations is of great importance ; but 

 never, we think, did it assume so grave an aspect as at the present, 

 when men, hitherto considered respectable and honourable men of 

 business, are publicly accused of wholesale adulteration, and the public 

 is excited, beyond measure, by the appearance of statements which we 

 trust are overdrawn and exaggerated. 



We think it behoves those in whose province the examinations of such 

 matters come, to make known the results of their experience, either to 

 confirm the statements alluded to, or, by contradicting them, to allay 

 the general alarm and disgust they have engendered. With this object 

 in view, I have, in conjunction with my friend Mr. Newton Samuelson, 

 submitted samples of the chief articles of food to careful examination, 

 and our results we propose to lay before the Society this evening. 



It would be proper to commence the subject by a consideration of 

 water and its contaminations, but this would furnish matter for a dis- 

 tinct paper, and occupy too much time to bo considered this evening 

 in connexion with the other matters contemplated ; we must, therefore, 

 Q 



