PUBLIC HEALTH ACT. 39 



the invoice accompanying the sale of feeding stuffs and they 



rith the class of feeding stuffs concerned. In cotton-seed cake or 



neal the analysis may vary one-tenth of the percentage of oil or 



ilbuminoids stated in the invoice, in such products as linseed cake 



meal the variation may be as great as one-eighth, and in other 



ypes of feed it may even be one-fifth. The limits of error only affect 



iivil proceedings for damages consequent on breach of warranty. 



The warranty in the invoice is that the actual percentages do not 



differ from those stated in the invoice beyond the prescribed limits 



of error. If the limit of error is 1 per cent and the deficiency is 3 per 



ent, civil proceedings can be taken for the recovery of the value of 



I per cent. Proceedings could be instituted under section 6 even 



though the deficiency was not beyond the limits of error, but such a 



ase is not likely to occur in practice. These limits of error are gen- 



erous and exceed distinctly the limits used in the administration of 



the food and drugs act by the Department of Agriculture in its con- 



,rol of similar products. 1 It might be pointed out that under the 



lead of albuminoids, ammoniacal and nitric nitrogen should not be, 



and in fact are not, included. 



During the year 1909 there were 1,995 samples of feeding stuffs 

 collected in England, Scotland, and Wales. 



THE PUBLIC HEALTH ACT, 1907. 



What is destined to be one of the most valuable of the food-control 

 aws of Great Britain is the public health (regulations as to food) act, 

 1907. This act is principally of value in that power is given to make 

 regulations authorizing measures to be taken for the prevention of 

 danger arising to public health from the importation, preparation, 

 torage, and distribution of articles of food or drink (other than drugs 

 and water) intended for sale for human consumption. This act also 

 contains the very essential requirement that articles commonly used 

 or the food or drink of man shall be deemed to be intended for sale 

 or human consumption unless the contrary is proved. This would 

 .pply to all those cases which are so often difficult to judge, namely, 

 where the product has a dual use, first, for food, and second, for tech- 

 nical purposes. There are undoubtedly cases where a product fit only 

 or the second class has been used for the first, and it would appear 

 he part of wisdom to rest the burden of proof, as to the use to which 

 L product is to be put, on the dealer. The administration of this act 

 is in the hands of the Local Government Board. 



The first regulation issued under this act was the public health 

 first series^ unsound food) regulations, 1908. These deal with the 



1 Five per cent, in case the protein, fat, or crude fiber content exceeds 20 per cent, and 8 per cent when 

 the protein content is less. The percentage of these ingredients found by analysis must not, however, 

 un uniformly below the stated percentages, by the amount set by these limits. 



