294 ADULTERATIONS OF ALIMENTARY SUBSTANCES. 
mixed with 1st. Sulphuric acid; and this adulteration is 
proved every year in Paris. 2nd. With water in the pro- 
portion of one-third or one-half; in the latter case the pro- 
duct is not injurious to health, but then the purchaser pays 
GO centimes the litre for a liquid which should cost only 30 
or 40 centimes. 3rd. With water acidulated by tartaric 
acid ; the buyer in this case is also deceived in the value of 
the product. 
Besides the wine-vinegar sold at Paris, vinegars are 
manufactured in that capital with syrup of fecula, with the 
washing waters of the sugar forms called waters of bac, 
with wine-leys, and with bacquetures collected under the 
counters of wine merchants. None of these vinegars can 
be compared, as regards taste and acidity, with wine-vine- 
gar. In our opinion, they should be sold only for what they 
are, and under the names of vinegars of syrup of fecula, 
of waters ofbac, of wine-leys, and of bacquetures. 
This last vinegar, the vinegar of bacquetures, most fre- 
quently contains a salt of lead ; sometimes, but rarely, the 
presence of a salt of copper has been detected. 
18.-0/ Tea. 
Tea is adulterated like all other substances ; tea of good 
quality has been mixed with tea which has been used, 
which has been collected, and which is rolled by suitable 
means. Teas are colored with indigo and with prussian 
blue. 
In August, 1844, the Administration was informed that 
a certain quantity of tea derived from an English ship call- 
ed the Reliance, which had suffered shipwreck on the coast 
of France, was fished up again, washed with water to free it 
from the sea salt, then colored green by a mixture of indigo, 
talc, and chromate of lead, and passed into commerce. 
The persons who committed that fraud were a merchant 
and a working man. At first the correctional police sen- 
