264 TOBACCO. 



found to contain, after being dried at 212° F., more than 

 26 per cent, of such salts, including those naturally in 

 the tobacco, will be liable to forfeiture and a penalty of 

 50Z. From my table of analyses you will observe that 

 not only does the proportion of alkaline salts vary in 

 different tobaccos, but the stem contains a much larger 

 proportion than the leaf. On this account it is necessary 

 that the snuff manufacturer should know the quantity of 

 alkaline salts in his snufif material, in order to obtain an 

 article of uniform composition. Some manufacturers go 

 by rule of thumb, and in attempting to work close to the 

 legal limit, they run a serious risk of unintentionally 

 incurring the penalty. As a matter of fact, three samples 

 of snufif, in 1883, were condemned by the Somerset House 

 authorities because they contained an excessive propor- 

 tion of alkaline salts, and the manufacturers were 

 prosecuted. The more intelligent of the snufif manu- 

 facturers, however, analyse their snuff material, and are 

 thus able to keep within the legal limit. 



" The principal alkaline salts which are added to snuff 

 are chloride of sodium or common salt, carbonate of 

 potash, and carbonate of ammonia, all of which are 

 allowed by Act of Parliament, and therefore no exception 

 can be taken to their addition, so long as the total 

 quantity does not exceed 26 per cent, in the dry snuff. 

 In addition to alkaline salts, snuffs usually contain from 

 25 to 45 per cent, of water, with the exception of a kind 

 of snuff called ' High Toast or Irish Blackguard,' which 

 is very dry and contains from 5 to 8 per cent. Sometimes 

 they also contain a considerable quantity of sand. In the 

 several hundred samples of snuff which I have had occa- 



