840 Annual Report for 1891 of the Consulting Chemist. 
shipped from India, principally from the ports of Bombay, Karachi, 
and Calcutta, inasmuch as the religious prejudices of the natives 
prevent them from making any serious attempt at utilising bones 
as manure on their own lands. English firms have now established 
extensive mills in India for the purpose of grinding the bones which 
are collected over the country, and for reducing them to the various 
stages of fineness according to which they are graded and sold. It 
was not to be expected that the English merchants would be left to 
drive their profitable trade alone, and Parsee merchants and others 
not hampered by religious scruples have carried on an active 
opposition. Not content with the legitimate profits to be derived 
from the trade, some of the native merchants have sought to increase 
their returns by a practice which is unfortunately not unknown in 
this country either — viz. that of resorting to adulteration. Before 
leaving India I had the advantage, through the kindness of an 
English firm (Messrs. Croft, Wells and Co., of Bombay, Calcutta, 
and Karachi), of seeing the extensil e mills they had erected near 
Bombay, also of inspecting the enormous supplies of bones collected, 
and of the methods of grinding and grading them. The arrangements 
were very complete, and a high quality of bone was sent out. But 
I also saw, on the day following, not here, but at one of the docks 
outside Bombay, what I was not meant to see— viz. the practice of 
adulteration of bone-meal with shell-sand, lime, &c., as carried on 
by certain of the native merchants. It is true that I was somewhat 
unceremoniously ejected from the premises when my true character 
was suspected, but not before I had liecn able to effect my purpose 
and had seen the heaps of sand and lime, and the mixture of these 
with the bone-meal. So extensively has this practice; been carried 
on that the former good reputation enjoyed by Indian bone-meal 
has suffered considerably. Here in England we are apt to speak 
and think of the " simple " native, but experience has told others 
besides myself that where there are any " tricks " to be learnt, the 
native will not be behind the unscrupulous ones found among his 
European brethren. Accordingly, it is well to point out that, in the 
matter of Indian bone-meal, it is necessary for purchasers to secure 
themselves by obtaining a definite guarantee, such as well- 
known English importers give, and not to trust to the " simplicity " 
of the native. I append analyses of three different materials which 
I obtained in India, and which are used for the purpose of adulter- 
ating bone-meal in that country. 
A 
B 
Oxide of iron and alumina 
' Carbonic acid 
Alkalies 
Water . 
Jjime . 
Magnesia 
Saud 
12'5e 
4378 
1-35 
4-78 
20.64 
4-70 
3-29 
£8-65 
3323 
7.G5 
24-64 
•30 
40-43 
2000 
2-30 
28-55 
405 
4-37 
Equal to carbonate of lime OT'oO 
100-00 
10000 
r)f)Oo 
100 00 
(MSI) 
