230 
H ASS ALL, ON ADULTERATIONS. 
application of this instrument to the detection of adul- 
terations : 
"The microscope is specially suited to the detection of organized struc- 
tures or substances, as the several parts of animals and plants : it is with 
the latter that we shall chiefly have to do in the course of the present work. 
"When we survey with our unaided vision any animal or plant, we detect 
a variety of evidences of organization or structure ; but there is in every 
part of every animal or vegetable production an extraordinary amount of 
organization, wholly invisible to tlie unarmed sight, and which is revealed 
only to the powers of the microscope. Now this minute and microscopical 
organization is different in different parts of the same animal or plant, and 
different in different animals and plants, so that by means of these differences, 
rightly understood, the experienced microscopical observer is enabled to 
identify in many cases infinitely minute portions of animal or vegetable 
tissues, and to refer them to the parts or species to which they belong. 
" Thus, by means of the microscope, one kind of root, stem, or leaf may 
generally be distinguished from another, one kind of starch or flour from 
another, one seed from another, and so on. In this way, the microscope 
becomes an invaluable and indispensable aid in the discovery of adulteration, 
" Applying the microscope to food, it appears that there is scarcely a 
vegetable article of consumption, not a liquid, which may not be distin- 
guished by means of that instrument. Further, that all those adulterations 
of these articles which consist in the addition of other vegetable substances, 
and which constitute by far the majority of adulterations practised, may 
likewise be discovered and discriminated by the same means. 
" The same remarks apply to all the vegetable drugs, whether roots, 
barks, seeds, or leaves. We are not acquainted with one such drug which 
may not be thus distinguished. 
" The seeds even belonging to different species of the same genus may 
frequently be distinguished from each other by the microscope, a point in 
some cases of very great importance. A remarkable instance of this has 
fallen under our observation. The seeds of the different species of mustard, 
rape, &c., may all be distinguished under the microscope by differences in 
their organization. To show the importance of the discrimination in some 
cases, the following instance may be cited. Some cattle were fed with rape 
cake, and died with symptoms of inflammation of the stomach and bowels. 
Nothing of a poisonous nature could be detected on analysis ; but it was sus- 
pected that the cake might be adulterated with mustard husk, although even 
this point could not be clearly established by chemical research. Under 
these circumstances the cake was sent to the author for examination, who 
had but little difficulty in ascertaining that it was adulterated with mustard 
seed, which, from the large quantity consumed, was doubtless the cause of 
the fatal inflammation. Not only can the seeds of different plants of the 
same genus be frequently discriminated by the microscope, but in some cases 
those belonging even to mere varieties of species. 
" The microscope in some cases can even inform us of the processes or 
agents to which certain vegetable substances have been subjected. Illus- 
trations of this are afforded by the starches of wheat and barley : it can be 
determined by the microscope whether these are raw, baked^ or boiled, or 
whether malted or unmalted. Illustrative figures will be found in the 
articles on Bread and Beer. 
" Again, it is not only when the articles are in a separate state that they 
can be thus distinguished ; but even whea mixed together in different pro- 
portions. We have succeeded in detecting in certain vegetable powders no 
less than nine different vegetable productions. 
