ADULTERATION OF FOOD, DRUGS, ETC. 549 
What was called the 4 per cent, system he had never 
adopted, as he considered it unfair to both parties. Com- 
posite powders he had also from the first refused to make or 
sell. Witness thought that no benefit would be derived 
from legislative interference between the retail druggist and 
the consumer; the public were supplied with drugs in so 
pure a state that very little improvement could be made. 
Atril 30. — Mr. Goodman , Chief Clerk to the Lord Mayor, 
stated, that in thirty years’ experience in the legal business 
of the city, he had never had a case of adulteration brought 
before him, but was acquainted wdth the general law relating 
to adulteration. There w r ere three remedies open to the 
public, viz., by action, by indictment by simple conviction 
before a magistrate, and by the intervention of the Excise. 
Unless there w^as some public injury arising from the adul- 
teration, the only remedy would be by action. This referred 
to the general subject of adulteration. With the view of 
preventing adulteration he w^ould suggest a right of search, 
either by inspectors appointed for the purpose, or by parties 
connected with the police. As to the adulteration of drugs, 
he thought they might be submitted to some analytical 
chemist. 
Dr. Bingley , Professor of Chemistry to the Medical and 
Surgical Institution, Sheffield, detailed various substances in 
which he had detected adulteration, and w as of opinion, from 
circumstances that had come to his notice, that some 
alteration was required in the present law r wfith regard to the 
adulteration of flour, in order to prevent those who took the 
samples from the trader from adulterating the flour before 
the analysis. 
Mr. Postgate , in continuation of his evidence given on a 
former occasion, said, the general result of his examinations 
of articles in various large towns w r as to convince him that 
adulteration existed in two thirds of them. He proposed as 
a remedy that all injurious adulterations should be declared 
illegal, and the seller held responsible ; that some central 
body should decide from time to time what were injurious 
adulterations, and that an officer, practically acquainted with 
genuine commodities, be appointed by the local authorities, 
subject to the approval of the Central Board. 
May 2. — Dr. Hassall gave some additional information, 
illustrated by numerous diagrams, showing the appearance 
of various adulterations as seen by the aid of the microscope. 
He observed, that not long since it was thought impossible 
to detect the difference between roasted coffee and roasted 
chicory ; by the aid of the microscope nothing w as more 
