IEON FILINGS" IN TEA. 227 



"IRON FILINGS" IN TEA. 



I HAVE watched the progress of the tea controversy and 

 the othqr public performances of the public analysts with 

 considerable interest; it might have been with amusement, 

 but for the melancholy degradation of chemical science 

 which they involve. 



Among the absurdities and exaggerations which for some 

 years past have been so industriously trumpeted forth by 

 the pseudo-chemists who trade upon the adulteration panic 

 and consequent demand for chemical certificates of purity, 

 the continually repeated statements concerning the use of 

 iron filings as a fraudulent adulterant of tea take a promi- ( 

 nent place. I need scarcely remark that, in order to form 

 such an adulterant, the quantity added must be sufficiently 

 great to render its addition commercially profitable to an 

 extent commensurate with the trouble involved. 



The gentlemen who, since the passing of the Adultera- 

 tion Act, have by some kind of inspiration suddenly become 

 full-blown chemists, have certified to wilful adulteration of 

 tea with iron filings, and have obtained convictions on such 

 certificates, when, according to their own statement, the 

 quantity contained has not exceeded 5 per cent in the 

 cheapest qualities of tea. Now, the price of such tea to the 

 Chinaman tea-grower, who is supposed to add these iron 

 filings, is about fourpence to sixpence per pound; and we 

 are asked to believe that he will fraudulently deteriorate the 

 market value cf his commodity for the sake of this additional 

 l-20th of weight. Supposing that he could obtain his iron 

 filings at twopence per pound, his total gain would thus be 

 about l-10th of a penny per pound. But can he obtain 

 such iron filings in the quantity required at such a price? A 

 little reflection on a few figures will render it evident that 

 he cannot, and that suoh adulteration is utterly impossible. 



I find by reference to Tlie Grocer of November 8th, 

 that the total deliveries of tea into the port of London dur- 

 ing the first ten months of 1872 were 142,429,337 Ibs., and 

 during the corresponding period of 1873, 139,092,409 Ibs. 

 Of this about 8 millions of pounds in 1873, and 10 millions 



