A YEAR'S WORK IN THE GOVERNMENT LABORATORY.

542 ruined by badly cut feet. The worst of it is that penal laws food. Dr. Thorpe was one of the members of this committee and yet he writes in regard to the above disclosures, ’’ In the can do little towards preventing an offence which has to be detected and brought home to the offender before he can be absence of legislation on the point and in view of the condealt with. Thoughtlessness, let us hope, is the root of such flicting decisions in the courts I have been unable to advise conduct, and possibly some good would come from the that proceedings should be taken." This seems to us to be rather an over-official attitude. Similarly 67 samples of publication of warning notices. cream were examined and 56 proved to contain boron preservative, and 43 of these also contained salicylic acid. A YEAR’S WORK IN THE GOVERNMENT How long is this dosing of milk and cream with preLABORATORY. servatives to go on absolutely uncontrolled? Surely the THE work of the Government laboratory does not diminish, principal chemist to the Government ought to take for the total number of analyses and examinations made in a firmer stand than this in regard to this subject the two branches of the laboratory-namely, at the Customs about which nobody knows more than he does. In the House and at Clement’s Inn Passage-during the year ended Excise department it is of interest to note that the analysis March 31st, 1907, was 173,606 against 158,939 for the of certain samples of beer from publicans revealed an by the addition preceding year. The miscellaneous character of the samples extensive system of fraud on the revenue in and water to beer of solutions of such proportions sugar examined is not surprising when it is remembered that the was not apparent except on that the dilution of the beer examinations are made in regard to three branches of Government machinery. There is first the work connected chemical analysis. In regard to 1133 samples of beverages with the revenue departments (Customs and Excise), then the sold as temperance drinks 71 contained 3 per cent. but less work in connexion with the various Government offices, and, than 4 per cent. of proof spirit, 37 contained 4 per cent. but finally, the work relating to the administration of the Food less than 6 per cent. of proof spirit, and eight contained and Drugs Act and the Fertilisers and Feeding StuffsAct. 6 per cent. or more of proof spirit. Herb beer and Under the last section the officials at the Government dandelion stout contained respectively 10’5 per cent. and laboratory act as a kind of court of appeal in 12’3 per cent. of proof spirit. Of the 1268 samples regard to samples of foods and drugs which the public of beer and brewing materials examined for arsenic 49 analyst has reported against. The number of samples so were found to contain this poisonous metal in excess referred this year was 114, compared with 101 in the previous of the limits laid down by the Royal Commission on Arsenical Poisoning (T 0 I -uth of a grain per pound of arsenious year, and amongst these there was not a single sample of a drug. Out of 111 samples examined the Government oxide in the case of solids or per gallon in the case of chemists differed from the public analyst in 20 cases, which liquids). The examination of tea proved satisfactory. The is equivalent to 18 per cent. of disagreements, against 9 per importation of essence of coffee is prohibited, "but many of cent. for the preceding official year. Most of the samples the so-called coffee essences are absolutely devoid of coffee" !l referred were milk and the charge of adulteration could not And so prohibition does not apply to them. From the point be substantiated in ten cases-namely, six as regards added of view of excise this may be satisfactory but that does not water, three as to deficiency in fat, and one as to the presence justify the cheating of the public or calling a preparation by of boron preservative. In one sample of milk there was a wrong name. present the extraordinary quantity of 95 grains of boric acid THE COÖPERATION OF LOCAL SANITARY per pint. Butter was another substance in dispute, for of five AUTHORITIES WITH THE VIEW TO THE samples in which the charge was the presence of an excesESTABLISHMENT OF A NATIONAL sive amount of water the Government chemists were unable HEALTH AUTHORITY. to agree with the public analyst in one case. It may be noted, however, that there was agreement with the public IN the issue of THE LANCET of May 25th, 1907, analyst in regard to a sample of brandy declared to contain p. 1445, we recorded a resolution passed by a conferneutral or patent-still spirit, in regard to a specimen of ence of representatives of sanitary authorities in Northcoffee as to the proportion of chicory present, and in regard umberland and Durham which met at Newcastle on to a specimen of spinach as to its containing a certain May 17th, to the effect that " In the opinion of this meeting amount of copper. Amongst the samples referred to the it is desirable that a permanent union of the sanitary Government chemists by the Home Office were an opaque authorities of England and Wales be established as a supreme white glass used in the preparation of toilet pins and found national health authority with the object of safeguarding to contain 34 per cent. of metallic lead, and seven samples and promoting the public health interests of the people at of oil taken from motor omnibuses at the instance of the large against tuberculosis and other dangers to the public Commissioner of Police, the oil in each case proving to be health." The meeting constituted itself into a temporary of a mineral description. The fisheries branch of the Board committee of representatives for the furtherance of the of Agriculture submitted curious samples in the shape of the scheme. A second meeting of this committee was held at eggs of the dogfish, with the result that Dr. Thorpe, the Newcastle on July 26th, when its numbers were increased by principal chemist of the Government laboratory, reported other medical officers of health and councillors. Alderman that the dogfish egg contains appreciably more nutriment Dr. W. H. Newton presided, and in his opening statement than the ordinary hen’s egg, having regard to the greater referred to the encouraging support which had been accorded weight of shell and water in the latter, and would be a to the movement in the medical press and other quarters. A valuable article of food if its pronounced fishy taste and list of subjects was approved as the basis of an invitation to smell were not found to be objectionable. The inquiry had county councils and sanitary authorities (urban and rural) to its origin in the depredations of the dogfish in the fisheries appoint representatives to attend a conference with the of the Devonshire and Cornwall coasts. An unsatisfactory object of establishing a supreme national health authority, state of things is shown in regard to the importations of milk this authority to consider all matters bearing on the and cream from abroad, the samples having been taken at the public health, including tuberculosis in man and animals, instance of the Local Government Board. The figures show milk and meat supplies, infant mortality, occupational that butter from certain countries in particular frequently diseases, water-supply, vagrancy, vaccination, phy; cal contains boron preservative in excess of the amount recom- degeneration, the drink problem, the disposal of sewage, mended as the limit by the committee on preservatives in the pollution of rivers, the promotion and encouragement -

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