496 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



color, but is extremely adulterated by the addition of liydrated 

 sulphate of lime, and with wheat flour, alum, starch and plaster 

 of paris, of this last named substance, as much as forty-three 

 per cent were met with in some samples; this is very injurious 

 to the system, being utterly innutritions and apt to interfere with 

 digestion. 



The conclusions respecting the adulteration of London brown 

 stout and porter were that water constitutes the principal but not 

 the .only adulteration to which these beverages are subjected. 

 The addition of water reduces the strength, flavor, and color to 

 such an extent as to necessitate the further adulteration of the 

 beer, and this is usually effected by means of a very coarse de- 

 scription of brown sugar containing much molasses and salt, 

 sulphuric acid or oil of vitriol, salt of steel or sulphate of iron, 

 cocculus indicus, tobacco leaves and sweet flag are likewise not 

 unfrequently used, both by the brewer and vender. 



Thirty-eight samples of gin Avere submitted to examination, 

 some of which only contained half as much alcohol as was present 

 in other samples, and therefore their commercial value was re- 

 duced more than one half This variation in the strength of the 

 spirits is doubtless principally attributable to dilution with water, 

 the quantity of sugar ranges from three to thirteen ounces per 

 gallon. Two of the samples contained oil of cinnamon; seven 

 cayenne pepper, in very large quantity. Most of the samples 

 contained combined sulphates, derived from the water and alum 

 employed in their adulteration and clarification, and also from 

 white vitriol, white copperas, or sulj^hate of zinc, these adultera- 

 tions are calculated to prove injurious to health. 



It appears from the analysis of nineteen samples of rum, that 

 six, or nearly one-third were adulterated with cayenne pepper, 

 others with white vitriol and sulphate of zinc. I would ask 

 what human stomach c^uld stand the combined influence of alco- 

 hol and cayenne pepper. 



Annotta is a vegetable coloring substance. It is used largely in 

 dying and also in coloring cheese, butter and cream. It is a 

 very expensive substance in its pure state. Thirty-one samples 

 were submitted to a micoscropical and chemical examination, 

 chalk was present in twenty-one samples, wheat flour in four, 

 rye flour in nine, turmeric in three, salt in nineteen, an oily sub- 

 stance (probably soap) in several, Venetian red in nineteen, cop- 

 per in three, whilst red lead was detected in five samples. 



