388 



SCIENCE 



[N.S. Vol. XXXI. No. 793 



the immersion refractometer to food analysis, 

 methods for the detection of viscogen in 

 cream, Howard's methods for the analysis of 

 ice cream, Robinson's methods for sausage 

 analysis, Bigelow's work on meat extracts, 

 methods for the detection of cold storage eggs, 

 the more recent, simple methods for the de- 

 termination of moisture in butter, Penfield's 

 system of ash analysis, Bryan's work on starch 

 in compressed yeast, the new sections on 

 bleached flour, diabetic foods, prepared mus- 

 tard, the Polenske number, methods of analy- 

 sis for maple products, scientific standards of 

 the International Congress of Sugar Chem- 

 ists, on ISfeufeld's, Browne's and Van Dine's 

 studies of honey, on Vasey's and Crampton 

 and Tolman's studies of whiskey, besides the 

 large amount of new matter in the pages upon 

 flavoring extracts, the incorporation of the 

 gist of the new official methods, of the more 

 important food standards, and of the sub- 

 stance of the decisive national regulations. 

 There are, of course, omissions of much that 

 every analyst engaged in this work would be 

 glad to have clearly stated and bound within 

 the same covers; but even a thousand pages 

 have their limits of content, and the matter 

 for congratulation is that the revisers have 

 chosen so well. 



The temper of the book is worthy of note. 

 Food adulterations and adulterants have, in 

 these days, become the subject of discussions 

 almost as warm as the importance of the mat- 

 ter merits, and the doctors as well as the 

 writers of the press and laymen have been 

 heard therein. But few echoes of these dis- 

 cussions appear in this book; dialectics have 

 been avoided and mooted matters little dis- 

 cussed. 



In a work of such magnitude, matter for 

 criticism can always be found. One wonders 

 why, for example, no mention is made of 

 Home's dry subacetate for clarification of sac- 

 charin liquids, that the Gutzeit method for 

 the determination of arsenic is not presented 

 in the principal section upon that subject, 

 and that Kastle's excellent method for the 

 identification of saccharin receives no men- 

 tion. 

 : It is deserving of more serious criticism 



that the official methods and standards are but 

 partially stated, or are given in a modified 

 form, without clear warning in the prefatory 

 matter that for the full and exact statement 

 of these methods and standards reference 

 must be had to the corresponding official pub- 

 lications. The occasional note of departure 

 from the letter of the text on these subjects 

 is insufficient to acquaint the reader unfamil- 

 iar with the original texts of the extent and 

 nature of the departures which the limitations 

 of space and probably other excellent reasons 

 have induced. 



Deserving also of mention is the fact that 

 this manual deals only with one side of the 

 public analyst's work, and does not attempt 

 the treatment of the forensic phase of his 

 duties. Indeed, from one or two paragraphs 

 in the general chapter of introduction, it may 

 be inferred that the food analyst of America 

 is unlikely to be called upon for very serious 

 or complex work of the forensic character. 

 Thus, in the first edition, the author notes 

 that Massachusetts' experience had indicated 

 that there was little need for the services of 

 trained attorneys in the ordinary course of the 

 enforcement of the food laws, since the trials 

 involved hearings only before courts of mag- 

 isterial grade where the services of a skilled 

 inspector had proved more valuable than those 

 of trained lavyyers without special experience 

 in the kind of causes at issue. In the second 

 edition, this statement is modified to indicate 

 that where the laws are new, the assistance of 

 counsel may be needful. 



The experience of the reviewer has com- 

 pelled him to a very different judgment upon 

 this point. Under present conditions, the 

 real issue joined is not whether the small re- 

 tailer in a single locality has violated the 

 law and subjected himself to a moderate fine, 

 but whether a given brand or even a given 

 class of goods can safely be handled by any 

 retailer in a large commonwealth. With rela- 

 tive frequency, therefore, food cases are tried 

 in the higher courts with a large array of ex- 

 perts and counsel engaged on behaK of the 

 real defendant, the manufacturer or group of 

 manufacturers concerned; and every point, 

 from the framing of the indictment and the 



