B.—CHEMISTRY. 69 
notoriety through legal inquiries involving the precise significance of chemi- 
cal and technical terms. But apart from such matters, many difficult 
chemical problems have arisen in determining the composition of the 
great variety of chemical substances imported. Thus it has proved a 
task of some magnitude to deal with about 8,000 subjects per annum, 
when their examination may include the quantitative determination of the 
ingredients of materials such as synthetic perfumes, photographic deve- 
lopers, medicines, colloidal preparations, alkaloids, &c. The grade of a 
specified material has also frequently to be assessed, and this involves a 
special knowledge of its manufacture and use. 
The effect of the war was generally to increase the amount of existing 
duties and to impose fresh ones. The former condition led to increased 
vigilance in the chemical control on account of the introduction of substi- 
tutes to replace the dutiable substances; the latter were imposed as a 
post-war condition and are described above. In connection with the 
war-time prohibition of exports, not only of munitions but practically 
of all useful commodities, the services of the Government Laboratory were 
required to decide as to the nature of about 20,000 substances, including 
cases in which the prohibited goods were skilfully disguised. 
For all matters involving chemical advice the Board of Customs and 
Excise applies to the Department of the Government Chemist, who main- 
tains on his staff for this section of the work a sufficient number of chemists 
and assistants to make the necessary investigations and deal with the 
chemical points at issue, as well as to carry out the necessary practical 
work, both in London and at several of the ports. This aspect of the work 
of the Government Laboratory involves a knowledge of Revenue law and 
precedent as well as an intimate acquaintance with a large range of chemical 
manufacture. 
The importance of chemical control in safeguarding the Revenue is 
obvious. Withincrease in the number of subjects brought undersupervision, 
the greater refinements and accuracy demanded, the investigation of new 
processes, and the amount of chemical work, the number of chemists is 
rapidly increasing. 
| Health. 
The earliest legislation in respect of food dealt with articles from the 
Revenue standpoint rather than from that of safeguarding users against 
adulteration. Thus, the Adulteration of Coffee Act of 1718 refers to evil- 
‘disposed persons who make use of water, grease, butter and such-like 
materials for addition to coffee, ‘ whereby the same is rendered unwhole- 
some and greatly increased in weight, to the prejudice of His Majesty’s 
Revenue and the health of his subjects.’ Similarly, the Tea Act of 1730 
refers to the use of various materials.and operations for sophisticating 
tea, “to the prejudice of the health of His Majesty’s subjects and the 
diminution of the Revenue.’ The Tea Act of 1776, which deals specifically 
with the preparation of other leaves for use in imitation of tea, gives as an 
additional reason ‘ the injury and destruction of great quantities of timber 
woods and underwoods.’ 
Since this legislation was mainly for the prevention of fraud on the 
Revenue, it was left to the Crown to take such steps as were considered 
necessary to ascertain the purity of the articles in question. To this end 
