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PROCEDURE UNDER THE SALE OF FOOD AND DRUGS ACT, 1875.
606 that she sold innocuous things, ate one herself, regarding it as a sweet, with the result that she was taken very ill and was medically attended for several weeks. This was the ground of the action, and very justiUnless the confectioner’s business was fiable ground too. of a mixed kind it is inconceivable that sulpho-cyanide of mercury pills, of which the " eggs " are composed, should be sent to a dealer who sells7sweets. Judge Lushington decided that the negligence was on the part of the defendant and not of the plaintiff, and he gave judgment for the latter for the full amount claimed (£50). Sulpho-cyanide of mercury does not appear to be a very powerful poison, and the quantity in each "egg"is stated to be somewhat over a grain. Its poisonous properties may be referred to the mercury rather than to the cyanogen in its composition. On applying a light, however, the vapours given off are very decidedly mercurial, which fact alone suggests that some measure of restriction should be imposed upon the sale of these apparently innocent ’°eggs."" PROCEDURE UNDER THE SALE OF FOOD DRUGS ACT, 1875.
AND
HOPES have been held out that when a number of matters of greater (?) importance than the health of the people shall have been satisfactorily disposed of, the attention of Parliament will be directed to a revision of the laws dealing with the adulteration of food, which have been practically untouched for over twenty years. The Act of 1875 is in many respects open to amendment, especially as to the inadequacy of the penalties for repeated offences, which, as experience has amply shown, instead of acting as deterrents, too often amount to no more than a small tax on enormous illicit profits, and the difficulties often found in obtaining convictions or in reaching the real offender, while instances of hardship are not altogether unknown. But the most serious defect is undoubtedly in the procedure enjoined for obtaining samples, which is uncertain and haphazard, and, indeed, demoralising to all parties. A consciously fraudulent dealer soon learns to recognise as a suspicious customer an inspector, policeman, or other officer or servant of the sanitary authority, and even a woman or child put forward by the inspector waiting outside. The probability of such person being served with an adulterated article is small, although a large business may be done in such goods under other circumstances, and the subterfuges, or, in plain language, the lies, to which a clever and successful inspector is driven to resort are by no means creditable to the law, while often serving to evoke sympathy with the accused, whom an astute counsel may easily represent as the victim of a mean conspiracy. The procedure, too, is applicable to the retail trade only and cannot be brought to bear on the wholesale dealer or manufacturer, who does not sell his goods in small quantities and to all Customers over the counter ; the only way in which such offenders can be reached being by a further action entered against him by the retailer, and not even then when the latter was a party to the fraud by buying at a price he knew to be incompatible with the purity of the article and of course without a warranty. We would call the attention of those on whom the drafting of a new Bill may devolve to the procedure under the Italian Public Health Act, although we have reason to believe that its provisions are by no means as strictly enforced as they are wisely designed, though this is doubtless the fault of the local authorities and their officials, and not of the able framers of a comprehensive and highly scientific piece of legislation By it the medical officer of health, accompanied, if he
prefer, by the public analyst, is empowered to enter any shop, warehouse, or factory, wholesale or retail, for the preparation or sale of any articles of food or drugs, and at his
leisure to inspect the entire stock, selecting and taking: samples, with prescribed precautions for identification, for examination or analysis. Every element of chance and possibility of evasion is thus precluded, everything is open and fair to all parties, and the opportunity afforded of reaching: the wholesale dealer directly is really a protection to the small tradesman, who is as often deserving of pity as of blame.
"SEAMEN’S HOSPITALS." THE litigation concerning the testamentary intentions of Mr. W. F. Waller of Gravesend, under which a bequest for "Seamen’s hospitals"was made to the acting Lord Mayor,. is now at an end, and the bank shares-the subject of the bequest-have been transferred to his lordship. The will gives the Lord Mayor absolute discretion in deciding what is a "seamen’s hospital," the only condition imposed by thetestator being that the money should be applied "for the benefit of such hospitals or hospital for seamen in some or one of the cities or counties which border on the River Thames in England, as he may think fit." The legacy, after payment of legacy duty, will amount to about £9250. Any hospitals for seamen claiming to come within the words of the bequest should send in particulars of their claim to the City Solicitor. -_--
THE PATHOLOGY AND THERAPEUTICS OF
SCURVY. IN
our
issue of Feb. 13th
we
referred to Dr. Nansen’s
experiences with regard to scurvy. Not a single case. occurred during the whole time that the expedition was. away although the food necessarily consisted very largely of preserved meats. Dr. Torup, Professor of Physiology at the University of Christiania, was of opinion that. if meat was badly preserved certain poisons allied to the ptomaines were produced which caused scurvy and consequently great care was exercised in preparing foodstuffs for Dr. Nansen’s expedition, with the result already stated. Especially interesting in this connexion is the article recently published by Dr. A. E. Wright, Professor of Pathology at the Army Medical School, Netley. He points out that our knowledge of scurvy is incomplete, inasmuch as it does not furnish us with any explanation of the fact that a regimen consisting entirely of preserved meats and cereals, or of either of these separately, induces the symptoms of scurvy. According to Dr. Nansen’s experience, however, this statement
the word "improperly"being before "preserved." Dr. refers to Wright experiments made by Walther under directions. These experimenters had in Schmiedeberg’s view the object of determining the effect of administering mineral acids to animals. The results varied with different animals. In the herbivora there is no special provision for the neutralisation of acids, and consequently rabbits speedily succumb to "acid intoxication" when free acids are administered. This is in conformity with the fact that these animals, so long as they feed exclusively upon herbage, have no need for any such provision, seeing that they are feeding upon alkaline food-stuffs which continually replenish the. blood with alkaline salts. In the carnivora there exists a very effectual provision for neutralising acid by means of the waste ammonia of the body, and consequently a dog, for example, bears up perfectly well against even a considerable acid ingestion. Contrary to what happens in the rabbit, the ingested acid does not in the dog either rob the blood of its alkaline salts or diminish its coagulability. Man occupies with respect to his power of neutralising acid a position which is intermediate between that of the dog and the rabbit. He is, therefore, able to bear up withoutmust
inserted
be
modified,
AND
HOPES have been held out that when a number of matters of greater (?) importance than the health of the people shall have been satisfactorily disposed of, the attention of Parliament will be directed to a revision of the laws dealing with the adulteration of food, which have been practically untouched for over twenty years. The Act of 1875 is in many respects open to amendment, especially as to the inadequacy of the penalties for repeated offences, which, as experience has amply shown, instead of acting as deterrents, too often amount to no more than a small tax on enormous illicit profits, and the difficulties often found in obtaining convictions or in reaching the real offender, while instances of hardship are not altogether unknown. But the most serious defect is undoubtedly in the procedure enjoined for obtaining samples, which is uncertain and haphazard, and, indeed, demoralising to all parties. A consciously fraudulent dealer soon learns to recognise as a suspicious customer an inspector, policeman, or other officer or servant of the sanitary authority, and even a woman or child put forward by the inspector waiting outside. The probability of such person being served with an adulterated article is small, although a large business may be done in such goods under other circumstances, and the subterfuges, or, in plain language, the lies, to which a clever and successful inspector is driven to resort are by no means creditable to the law, while often serving to evoke sympathy with the accused, whom an astute counsel may easily represent as the victim of a mean conspiracy. The procedure, too, is applicable to the retail trade only and cannot be brought to bear on the wholesale dealer or manufacturer, who does not sell his goods in small quantities and to all Customers over the counter ; the only way in which such offenders can be reached being by a further action entered against him by the retailer, and not even then when the latter was a party to the fraud by buying at a price he knew to be incompatible with the purity of the article and of course without a warranty. We would call the attention of those on whom the drafting of a new Bill may devolve to the procedure under the Italian Public Health Act, although we have reason to believe that its provisions are by no means as strictly enforced as they are wisely designed, though this is doubtless the fault of the local authorities and their officials, and not of the able framers of a comprehensive and highly scientific piece of legislation By it the medical officer of health, accompanied, if he
prefer, by the public analyst, is empowered to enter any shop, warehouse, or factory, wholesale or retail, for the preparation or sale of any articles of food or drugs, and at his
leisure to inspect the entire stock, selecting and taking: samples, with prescribed precautions for identification, for examination or analysis. Every element of chance and possibility of evasion is thus precluded, everything is open and fair to all parties, and the opportunity afforded of reaching: the wholesale dealer directly is really a protection to the small tradesman, who is as often deserving of pity as of blame.
"SEAMEN’S HOSPITALS." THE litigation concerning the testamentary intentions of Mr. W. F. Waller of Gravesend, under which a bequest for "Seamen’s hospitals"was made to the acting Lord Mayor,. is now at an end, and the bank shares-the subject of the bequest-have been transferred to his lordship. The will gives the Lord Mayor absolute discretion in deciding what is a "seamen’s hospital," the only condition imposed by thetestator being that the money should be applied "for the benefit of such hospitals or hospital for seamen in some or one of the cities or counties which border on the River Thames in England, as he may think fit." The legacy, after payment of legacy duty, will amount to about £9250. Any hospitals for seamen claiming to come within the words of the bequest should send in particulars of their claim to the City Solicitor. -_--
THE PATHOLOGY AND THERAPEUTICS OF
SCURVY. IN
our
issue of Feb. 13th
we
referred to Dr. Nansen’s
experiences with regard to scurvy. Not a single case. occurred during the whole time that the expedition was. away although the food necessarily consisted very largely of preserved meats. Dr. Torup, Professor of Physiology at the University of Christiania, was of opinion that. if meat was badly preserved certain poisons allied to the ptomaines were produced which caused scurvy and consequently great care was exercised in preparing foodstuffs for Dr. Nansen’s expedition, with the result already stated. Especially interesting in this connexion is the article recently published by Dr. A. E. Wright, Professor of Pathology at the Army Medical School, Netley. He points out that our knowledge of scurvy is incomplete, inasmuch as it does not furnish us with any explanation of the fact that a regimen consisting entirely of preserved meats and cereals, or of either of these separately, induces the symptoms of scurvy. According to Dr. Nansen’s experience, however, this statement
the word "improperly"being before "preserved." Dr. refers to Wright experiments made by Walther under directions. These experimenters had in Schmiedeberg’s view the object of determining the effect of administering mineral acids to animals. The results varied with different animals. In the herbivora there is no special provision for the neutralisation of acids, and consequently rabbits speedily succumb to "acid intoxication" when free acids are administered. This is in conformity with the fact that these animals, so long as they feed exclusively upon herbage, have no need for any such provision, seeing that they are feeding upon alkaline food-stuffs which continually replenish the. blood with alkaline salts. In the carnivora there exists a very effectual provision for neutralising acid by means of the waste ammonia of the body, and consequently a dog, for example, bears up perfectly well against even a considerable acid ingestion. Contrary to what happens in the rabbit, the ingested acid does not in the dog either rob the blood of its alkaline salts or diminish its coagulability. Man occupies with respect to his power of neutralising acid a position which is intermediate between that of the dog and the rabbit. He is, therefore, able to bear up withoutmust
inserted
be
modified,