ADULTERATION OP POOD, DRUGS, ETC. 293 
March 5. — Mr. Lindsay Bligh , analytical chemist to St. 
Mary’s Hospital, had the duty of examining drugs for the 
hospital. Had not found drugs in their natural state adulte- 
rated, but sometimes of inferior quality. Preparations he had 
frequently found much adulterated; but since it had become 
known that they were subjected to analysis, the quality had 
much improved. He considered that adulteration, when 
practised, was done fradulently, and not by accident. He 
had found drugs in Paris better than in England, which he 
attributed to the superior education of the French chemists, 
and the system of examination adopted. He thought some 
legislative enactment necessary. 
Mr. W. Bastick was of opinion that adulteration was most 
extensively practised, either from fraud or imperfection in 
the manufacture. This was done abroad by the makers, and 
at home by wholesale druggists. Essential oils were gene- 
rally adulterated with turpentine, or other oils; musk with 
sawdust and chopped horses’ tails ; white precipitate with 
corrosive sublimate and chalk ; red precipitate with red lead ; 
honey with flour and syrup. He also directed attention to 
the “ compound powders,” and gave a formula said to be 
adopted for a powder called “ gentian compositusj' containing 
only one seventh of gentian, from which he said any medical 
man would find his prescription produce a very different 
effect from that which he intended. He also gave a formula 
for turmeric powder. He thought the majority of the retail 
chemists could not detect the adulteration of drugs sold to 
them ; at the same time there was no doubt many were able 
to do so, and sold adulterated articles knowing the fact. He 
was quite prepared to endorse the statements of Dr. Hassall 
and Dr. Normandy, and recommended legislative interfer- 
ence. He also read a recipe which had been published for 
making port wine. 
Mr. Baiss , wholesale druggist, denied some of the alle- 
gations of former witnesses, such as the habitual mixture of 
sawdust with powders in the mill, and the sale of gentian 
compositus as genuine gentian powder. It was possible that 
such compounds might be obtained if ordered of the grinders, 
but no respectable wholesale druggist kept them in stock. 
March 7. — Mr. JF. Emmerson , of Leeds, represented a 
company which had been formed for grinding flour on ac- 
count of the extensive adulteration. The company had been 
very successful, and had greatly improved the quality of the 
flour and reduced the price. He thought legislative inter- 
ference necessary. 
Mr. Ferrand , book-keeper to a corn-mill society in Roch- 
xxix. 38 
