LABORATORIES FOR SPECIAL PURPOSES 71 



with the Medicine Stamp Acts. These Acts impose duties, pay- 

 able by means of special stamps, upon preparations advertised 

 for the cure or relief of human ailments. There are, however, 

 certain exemptions, and it is chiefly in connection with these 

 exemptions that analyses of the samples are required. Thus a 

 single medicinal drug, sold unmixed with any other substance, 

 is not charged with stamp duty, and many of the samples 

 received were analysed in order to ascertain whether they were, in 

 fact, simple drugs or mixtures. Another provision of the Acts 

 exempts, in certain circumstances, medicines of which the com- 

 position is known, and analyses are required to establish the 

 identity of samples which it is claimed come within this exemp- 

 tion. 



Among points of interest arising may be mentioned an instance 

 of pills which were advertised as a remedy for obesity. The 

 magistrate before whom legal proceedings were brought held 

 that obesity was an " ailment " within the meaning of the'Acts, 

 and the seller was convicted of an offence. Specimens of water, 

 and of mud compresses, alleged to have radio-active properties 

 and to exert medicinal effects, were among the samples examined, 

 which included also pills, powders, plasters, ointments, medicinal 

 snuff, herbs, corn cures, embrocations, and various liquid and 

 solid " remedies." 



Hydrometers for ascertaining the strength of spirits and 

 saccharometers for use at breweries and sugar factories are 

 tested as to their accuracy at the Government Laboratory before 

 being issued to the officers of Customs and Excise. In addition, 

 graduated vessels of various descriptions for use in the Survey- 

 ing Department are calibrated at the laboratory. 



Chemical work is performed for the Admiralty in connection 

 with the Contract Department at Whitehall, the Naval Yards, the 

 Engineering Department, the Canteen Inspections, the Hospitals 

 and Schools, and the Medical Branch. The work consists mainly 

 in the examination of food substances, including fresh and con- 

 densed milk, butter, margarine, suet, lard, tinned foods, jam, 

 lime and lemon juice, rum, ale and stout, pepper, and baking- 

 powder. 



It is satisfactory to note that nearly all the samples of dairy 

 produce examined were of genuine character and good quality. 

 In only two instances was the fresh milk found to have been 

 watered and deprived of a portion of its fat, and of 91 samples 



