HASSALL, ON ADULTERATIONS. 229 
they belong to tlie series of homogenetic actions_, and that we 
are gradually prepared for the remarkable development of 
buds into seeds amongst plants by such forms as bulbilli and 
sporules, and of buds into eggs amongst animals by a variety 
of transitionary forms. — E. L. 
Adulterations detected, or Plain Instructions for the Discovery 
of Frauds in Food and Medicine. By Arthur Hill 
Hassall, M.D. London_, Longmans. 
Dr. Hassall^s name is inseparably associated with the 
subject of adulteration. Whether he was the first to apply 
the microscope to the discovery of adulteration,, or whether 
he has in all cases done so judiciously, there can be no doubt 
that of all persons he has used this instrument most largely 
in examining the adulterations practised in the preparation 
of articles of food for sale. It is indeed a triumph for the 
microscope, that in so many cases where the chemist was 
utterly unable to detect adulteration, it has perfectly succeeded. 
And thus it must be. Wherever sight assists us to the know- 
ledge of the true nature of a thing, then the application of 
the microscope must facilitate observation and increase our 
knowledge. Already practical results of importance have 
followed on the publication of Dr. H assail' s observations as 
analyst of the celebrated Lancet Sanitary Commission,^' 
and he has done great service to the cause of purity of food 
in the publication of the present volume. Although Dr. 
Hassall advocates a system of Government inspection of food, 
the publication of his book will go a long way to render such 
public interference unnecessary. The microscope is no longer 
alone a toy in the house of the wealthy, or an instrument of 
research in the study of the philosopher, but a part of the 
household arrangements of every intelligent family. With 
the aid of Dr. Hassall's book and a compound microscope, 
persons of ordinary intelligence will be able to examine 
for themselves the quality of their daily food. In fact, we do 
not despair of seeing the time when it shall be deemed a 
necessary accomplishment of every good housewife to be 
enabled to test the quality of all articles of food by the aid 
of the microscope. 
Dr. Hassall makes the following sensible remarks on the 
