296 ADULTERATIONS OF ALIMENTARY SUBSTANCES. 
Before quitting this subject, we deem it proper to inform 
those who may think that the existing laws are sufficient 
to prevent delinquencies of this kind, that this is not the case: 
the Article 318 of the Penal Code says: — "That whoever 
has sold, or offered for sale, sophisticated beverages, con- 
taining mixtures injurious to health, shall be imprisoned for 
the term of from six days to two years, and fined from 1 6 
to 500 francs but this article does not extend to such de- 
frauders as mixed plaster of Paris with salt ; alabaster with 
fecula ; fecula sugar with cane sugar and honey, water with 
vinegar, &c, &c. For they may plead — 1st. That these 
substances are not injurious to health. 2nd. That they 
neither sold nor offered for sale the mixed substances found 
upon their premises. Is it, then, necessary for the purpose of 
making application of this law, to have recourse to artifices 
to prove the sale ? We feel indignant at dealings of this 
kind, both in behalf of the jurisdiction and of the adminis- 
tration. The Article 475 of the Penal Code fines, in the 
sum of 16 francs, such as have sold falsified beverages ; in 
this case as in the preceding one, if the falsified merchan- 
dise be seized upon the premises, the defendant will not 
always forfeit the fine, because he may allege that he did 
not sell. 
The Article 423 runs as follows : — "Whoever imposes 
upon a purchaser with reference to the standard of articles 
made of gold or silver ; the quality of a spurious stone sold 
for a fine one ; the nature of any merchandise ; and who- 
ever makes use of false weights, &c, shall be sent to prison 
for the term of from three months to one year, and fined in 
a sum which may amount to one-fourth of the value. 
It would appear that in no case the administration is in 
a position to prevent the fraud. It is known that a man 
sold a certain quantity of salt which is injurious to health ; 
some salt similar to that sold is seized upon his premises : 
has he not a right to maintain that he did not sell this salt ? 
