ei, Ne L. 
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1884. 
COMMENT AND CRITICISM. 
Ir may not be generally known that it is the 
duty of the National academy of sciences to 
examine and report upon such matters as may 
be submitted to it by the proper authorities of 
the national government. The problem is 
referred by the academy to a committee, com- 
posed of such of its members as are specially 
skilled in the science to which the subject ap- 
pertains ; and they consider it in the light of 
all accessible data, and, where necessary, submit 
the problem to experimental investigation and 
study. It is not unusual, also, to call into 
council experts in good standing who are not 
members of the academy. All these services 
are rendered gratuitously, only the actual ex- 
penses incurred being defrayed. It would 
seem as if no fairer way could be devised for 
obtaining an honest and intelligent opinion on 
the question at issue; since the government 
is unbiassed, and the jury untramelled, while 
it consists of men whose ability and attain- 
ments are guaranteed. 
Many reports have thus been presented to 
the government during the existence of the 
academy ; but few seem to have attracted as 
much attention, or to have aroused as much 
feeling, as a recent report made to the commis- 
sioner of internal revenue upon the question 
as to the wholesomeness of glucose as an article 
of food. The conclusions reached are, 1°, that 
the manufacture of sugar from starch is a long- 
established industry, scientifically valuable and 
commercially important ; 2°, that the processes 
which it employs at the present time are un- 
objectionable in their character, and leave the 
product uncontaminated ; 3°, that the starch- 
sugar thus made and sent into commerce is of 
exceptionable purity and uniformity of com- 
* position, and contains no injurious substances ; 
No. 54. —1884. 
and, 4°, that though having at best only about 
two-thirds the sweetening-power of cane- 
sugar, yet starch-sugar is in no way inferior to 
cane-sugar in healthfulness; there being no 
evidence before the committee, that maize 
starch-sugar, either in its normal condition or 
fermented, has any deleterious effect upon the 
system, even when taken in large quantities. 
For reporting these conclusions, the mem- 
bers of the committee have been most severely 
attacked, and their honesty impugned. One 
of the most bitter and partisan of these attacks 
is contained in a recent ‘leader’ in the Wash- 
ington Hvening siar, in which it is distinctly 
implied that this report favors the use of glu- 
cose in adulteration. Inspection of the report 
shows this deduction to be entirely without 
foundation; and the attack reveals the most 
unpardonable ignorance, or a deliberate inten- 
tion to deceive. The use of glucose in adul- 
teration is a well-known fact, and it is the duty 
of the commercial and legal fraternities to devise 
means for its prevention. The wholesomeness 
of glucose was a matter about which nothing was 
definitely known, and the fact of its being largely 
used in food made the matter of the gravest con- 
sequence. ‘The consideration of this fact was 
the most important duty of the committee. 
THe action of the New-England fish and 
game convention, recently assembled in Bos- 
ton, should meet with cordial support in all 
quarters. The object of the convention was 
to secure uniformity in the fish and game laws 
of all the New-England states, and to see that 
these laws are so worded that they may be 
enforced. The present game laws, of Massa- 
chusetts at least, are in ereat measure a farce, 
as under them convictions are often impossible, 
even when infringement of the law is clearly 
proved. ‘This is due, in part, to the varying 
close times in different states, — a condition of 
things which encourages the smuggling of ille- 
