724 
EDITORIAL OBSERVATIONS. 
&c. It was a common trick of the baker to introduce chalk into sour flour 
to improve it. The adulteration of snuff was very injurious, and possibly 
hundreds of people had died from its use. With regard to coloured-sugar 
confectionery it was the most injurious. The colour was almost always pro- 
duced by the chromate of lead, and twenty-four persons had been brought to 
the hospital who had been poisoned by eating some of the refuse stock of a 
confectioner in Petticoat Lane. There was no reason for the use of such 
poisons, as the foreign confectionery did not contain them, and it was much 
superior in appearance to English. Another adulteration was where poison- 
ous matters were introduced for the purpose of improving the flavour. The 
essential oil of almonds was four times as strong as the strongest prussic 
acid, yet it was constantly used to flavour. With regard to drugs, a great 
proportion of the adulteration consisted in mixing inert matter with the pow- 
dered drugs. It was the custom to send 100 lbs. of drugs to be ground, and 
to expect the same weight returned without regard to waste or evaporation, 
and in order to make up the required weight, which the druggist would have, 
the grinder introduced sawdust, or ‘ powder of post.’ He had examined 
200 samples of opium, and rarely found them to contain more than 5 per 
cent, of morphia, while the crude drug contained 12 to 14 per cent., thus 
showing a terrible adulteration. A medical man would consequently find the 
effect of his prescription very different from what he anticipated, and if he 
went on to increase the dose, and the prescription was taken to another 
druggist who sold purer drugs, the effect would be most serious. 
“ After enumerating several other drugs, Dr. Letheby said he thought it 
but right to mention that some of the evidence given before the committee 
possibly related to the adulteration of drugs some years ago ; lately, owing 
to the instruction given to chemists by the Pharmaceutical Society, they 
had much improved. Speaking from his own experience, having examined 
scores of samples, he could say neither castor nor cod-liver oil were adulte- 
rated. As to a remedy for the prevention of adulteration, he would not 
venture an opinion with respect to food ; but, as to drugs he thought all 
adulteration might be done away with. It might be left to the Pharma- 
ceutical Society. The great difficulty in the appointment of inspectors was 
the number that would be required. Such an immense number of things 
were now brought to the hospital for his examination that it was impossible 
to find time to attend to them. An analysis required as much as four or 
five days sometimes. 
“ Mr. Scanlan, Apothecary to the Dublin Apothecaries’ Hall, generally 
confirmed the preceding witness as to the adulteration of the various articles 
of consumption. He said he had known most of the large drug-houses in 
London for thirty years past, and was convinced they would not lend them- 
selves to any adulteration whatever. He did not agree with Dr. Letheby 
as to the mode of adulteration by the addition of sawdust to make up for the 
loss by evaporation and other causes. It was not necessary to do anything 
of the sort. The principal check to adulteration, he considered, would be 
the better education of chemists and druggists, and those who bought those 
things.” 
Thus have we fulfilled our intentions ; our object 
being twofold. First, as we said, to make our profes- 
sional brethren acquainted with some of the trickeries prac- 
tised on drugs ; and, secondly, to show the necessity of their 
being conversant with the means of detection. To chemistry 
