ADULTERATION OF FOODS. 



431 



There is no falling back either upon tea or chocolate; for these seem 

 rather worse used than coffee. Tea is adulterated, not only here, but 

 still more in China ; while as to chocolate, the processes employed in 

 corrupting the manufacture are described as " diabolical." " It is often 

 mixed with brick-dust to the amount of ten per cent, ochre twelve per 

 cent, and peroxide of iron twenty-two per cent, and animal fats of the 

 worst description. 1 ' 



In this country cocoa is sold under the names of flake, rock, granu- 

 lated, soluble, dietetic, homoeopathic cocoa, &c., fig. 209. Now these 

 names are merely employed to show that they are compounds of sugar, 

 starch, and often other substances. Unfortunately, however, many of 



fig. 209. 



Adulterated Cocoa, sold under the name of Homoeopathic Cocoa, a a a, granules and 

 cells of cocoa ; b b b, granules of Canna-starch, or Tous-les-mois ; c, granules of 

 tapioca starch : after Hassall. 



the preparations of the cocoa-nut sold under the names of chocolate and 

 of cocoa-flakes, consist of a most disgusting mixture of bad or musty 

 cocoa-nuts, with their shells, coarse sugar of the very lowest quality, 

 ground with potato-starch, old sea-biscuits, coarse branny flour, animal 

 fat (generally tallow, or even greaves), &c. 



Were we to extend our inquiries to drugs and pharmaceutical pre- 

 parations, the immense importance of the question would become still 



