EXTENT OF INSPECTION AND SAMPLING. 23 



in Scotland 1,733 test samples were taken, including 702 samples of 

 milk and 384 samples of butter. Due to the nature of the collection 

 of these samples, it is impossible for the local authorities to bring 

 prosecution when samples are found to be adulterated, but it gives 

 them a very good idea of the nature of the commodities being sold 

 to the public and indicates where the inspectors may well coUect 

 official samples. In many instances it is found that in the collection 

 of official samples by an authorized inspector great care and circum- 

 spection have to be exercised in order to obtain those similar to the 

 ones which are as a rule offered to the persons regularly making pur- 

 chases from the merchants and who are known to them. In the 

 United Kingdom informal sampling is mainly done by local authori- 

 ties as part of their ordinary administration. The collection of 

 informal test samples is carried on by the Department of Agriculture 

 in this country, and much valuable information is thus obtained. 

 The difficulty experienced in Great Britain in the collection of 

 official samples similar to the test samples is not experienced, fortu- 

 nately, by the inspectors operating under the food and drugs act in 

 the United States. In 1909 about 10 per cent of the official samples 

 of all kinds collected in Scotland with the formalities required by 

 the sale of food and drugs act were found adulterated, w r hile the 

 informal samples showed an adulteration equivalent to about 17 per 

 cent. Official milk samples showed about 14 per cent adulteration 

 and informal samples nearly 28 per cent adulteration. Of the 

 official butter samples about 9 per cent were adulterated and of the 

 test samples about 11 per cent. 



In Great Britain each county, borough, or town council appoints 

 one or more of its officers as inspectors to take samples and act under 

 the sale of food and drugs acts. The direction of their work is usually 

 a duty of the medical officer of health of the district. There are 

 about 1,000 such inspectors, and they operate largely under the sale 

 of food and drugs act, but have little to do with the butter and mar- 

 garine act. 



It is somewhat surprising to find that in a country where such care- 

 ful control of dairy products is exercised there is not a great deal of 

 activity in the sale of milk obtained from herds of tuberculin-tested 

 cows. There appears to be practically no demand for certified milk, 

 for while some attempts have been made along this line, they have 

 failed of popular support. 



From an administrative point of view one interesting phase of 

 this work is seen in the circulars which are sent to the local authorities 

 in Great Britain for the purpose of aiding them in the administration 

 of the sale of food and drugs acts, 1875-1907. The Local Government 

 Board issues a circular annually on administrative arrangements and 



