598 ADULTERATION OF FOOD AND DRUGS. 
and positive in forbidding adulteration, and in punishing 
those who practise it. 
“ Hitherto the progress of legislation has not kept pace 
with the ingenuity of fraud, which has not scrupled to avail 
itself of every improvement in chemistry or the arts which 
could subserve its purpose. 
“Although, however, the means of adulteration have 
greatly increased, so also, fortunately, have the facilities for 
detection, especially by the improved use of the microscope, 
which has been - employed by Dr. Hassall and others with 
signal success. 
“ At first, no doubt, some difficulty would be experienced 
in finding persons qualified to conduct the required chemical 
and microscopical examinations ; but the want will soon give 
rise to the needful supply. This want has been already 
felt by the Board of Inland Revenue, which has been com- 
pelled, for the purposes of the analysis requisite in cases of 
adulterated articles of Excise, to educate persons for this 
special duty. In addition to about 4000 officers, scattered 
over the country, whose experience enables them to detect 
many adulterations, and to discover cases of strong suspicion, 
the Board employs about 60 to 70 analytical chymists, whose 
numbers are recruited by students, educated for this purpose 
at University College, to the number of fourteen in every year. 
Mr. Phillips, the chief officer of the chemical department of 
the Board of Inland Revenue, states that the practice is for 
the officers, if they suspect a trader of adulterations, or on 
information given to them, to go and procure samples. 
Many are competent to examine samples on the spot. If 
they have any doubt on their own judgment, they send them 
to the laboratory to be further examined. And he adds, as 
showing the result of the system adopted by the Board, that 
adulteration has been totally stopped in some articles, and 
much diminished in others, from the very fact that traders 
know they are liable to inspection by the Excise officers. 
“ It has been suggested that the prevention of adultera- 
tions in food might be accomplished by an extension of 
the system of the Board of Inland Revenue; but your 
committee are of opinion that no machinery for this purpose 
will work satisfactorily unless the agent employed derive 
their authority from corporate or other local governing 
bodies. 
“ It will be desirable, therefore, to empower municipal or 
other local or district authorities to appoint an officer, or 
officers, who, on complaint made, or in cases of reasonable 
suspicion, shall procure portions of any article supposed to 
