ABSTRACT OF PROCEEDINGS. H~ 



June 11th, 1917. 



Mr. W. T. Willington, Chairman, in the Ohair. 



Prof. O. E. Fawsitt gave a lecture upon " Pure Poods," 

 illustrated by means of lantern slides. 



The lecturer pointed out the necessity for a Pure Foods 

 Act, and discussed the working of the Pure Food and Drugs 

 Act (1908) of New South Wales. It was pointed out that 

 difficulties were met with in framing the regulations deal- 

 ing with certain foods and drugs. The reference in a 

 regulation to substances with which a food or drug shall 

 not be adulterated, is apt to suggest to some minds ways 

 and means for adulteration which might otherwise have 

 never been thought of. 



Sometimes a food or drug is purchased mainly on account 

 of one particular compound (e.g. vanilla for its vanillin con- 

 tent). It may then appear advisable to stipulate by regu- 

 lation what the percentage of the principal ingredient (only)' 

 shall be. When this is done, it may be possible for an 

 unscrupulous man to use an inferior product, but make the 

 percentage of the principal constituent come up to the 

 required amount by addition of an artificially prepared 

 (synthetic) compound. This is not permitted, but there is 

 a difficulty for the analyst, in most of such cases, in show- 

 ing any difference between the compound of natural origin 

 and the compound prepared synthetically. 



There are probably good grounds for refusing to permit 

 the addition of these synthetic substances, for there is a 

 possibility that some of the minor substances, although not 

 specified as to amount (or even by name) are of importance 

 in some cases, and that there is a certain balance between 

 the chief constituent and the minor constituents in the 

 good natural article which renders it more beneficial, when 

 used as a food or drug, than a poorer natural article forti- 

 fied by the addition of an important constituent. 



