ADULTERATION OF FOODS. 



431 



There la 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." 



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

 lated, soluble, dietetic, homoeopathic cocoa, <fec., 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 Eomoeopathic Cocoa, a a a, granules and 

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

 tapioca starch: after HassaU. 



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 



