NATURE AND PROPERTIES. 265 



sion to examine for different manufacturers the average 

 quantity of sand was about 5 per cent, in the dry snuff, 

 and sometimes fell as low as a half per cent., but in many 

 samples the quantity exceeded 10 per cent., and in one case 

 I found as much as 30 94 per cent, of sand in the dry 

 snuff. The greater part of this sand is probably derived 

 from the sweepings of tobacco, on which duty has been 

 paid, and I have no doubt the snuff manufacturer con- 

 siders himself justified in selling it as snuff. But it 

 appears to me to be very desirable in the interest of 

 snuffers, that some limit should be placed on the quantity 

 of sand which may be sold as snuff : more especially as 

 the particles of sand are frequently very sharp, and have a 

 tendency to produce inflammation of the mucous membrane 

 of the nose, and it is to this, probably, that we owe the 

 popular notion that snuff is sometimes mixed with ground 

 glass to give it additional piquancy. 



" When from any cause snuff is spoiled, the manufac- 

 turer may export it, and obtain a drawback of 3s. Id. 

 per Ib. on the real tobacco which it contains. 



" The Government standard for tobacco is as follows : 



Per cent. 



Organic matter 70-52 



Inorganic 15'48 



Water 14-00 



100-00 



" This is equal to 18 per cent, of ash or inorganic 

 matter in the dry tobacco. This standard is in my 

 opinion too high, as the average percentage of inorganic 

 or ash in the dry leaf tobaccos which I have examined is 



