public analyst. He divided it into three parts, one of which he delivered to Mr. Harvey the same day. He produced a certificate, dated 11th August, from that gentleman, which stated that the sample was adulterated with 15 per cent. of added water.-Cross-examined: Did not think defendant told him he bought the milk of anyone. Did not say he never put water in it, or that he had had it from three different people, and he thought it was quite pure.-Mr. Mercer said that practically there was no defence to this case, as his client had not thought fit to get a certificate from whom he bought it. He suggested that the first customers got the best of the milk, and submitted that 15 per cent. of added water was not a great deal.-The Chairman notified their intention to convict in this case, but said they would hear the other summons against the defendant before deciding upon the penalty.

Defendant (Coleman) was then further charged with having in his cart, on the same date, certain "milk," apparently for sale as food for man, which had been condemned by two of Her Majesty's Justices as being unfit for the food of man.—Defendant pleaded not guilty.—Mr. E. S. May said that on Tuesday, the 9th August, he was coming down High Street, and on looking up George Street he saw the defendant with a horse and cart. Upon observing witness, defendant whipped up the horse and drove up into Meeting Street. Witness then went back up High Street, ɛnd, on looking up Meeting Street, saw defendant get out of his cart with the intention of serving two of his customers, but as soon as he saw him (Mr. May) he turned his pony round and drove off to the end of the street again and round the corner without serving his customers. Defendant was just about to drive off when witness overtook him. He then purchased, as stated in the previous case, one pint of milk, which defendant took from one can in the cart. After purchasing it, witness asked defendant why he served him from that particular can, and he replied that it was "all the same sort" in the other two cans. Witness asked him to open the lid of the centre can, which he did, and it was empty. He then asked defendant to open the lid of the third can, which he declined to do, again stating it was all the same," and there was no need for him to open it. Witness then removed the lid, and found the can contained about a gallon of liquid which looked like milk; he seized it, and took it out of the cart, as being unfit for the food of man. After setting it down on the pavement he gave defendant an opportunity of explaining why he was carrying it, but he gave no explanation whatever. Witness brought the contents of the can before two of Her Majesty's Justices of the Peace, on the 11th ult., when defendant was present, and an order was made condemning the "milk" as unfit for the food of man. Witness produced a sample of the "milk" taken from the can he seized (a mixture resembling soap-water, with lumps of apparently soap floating in it). Witness sent a similar sample to that produced, taken from the can, to the Public Analyst (Mr. S. Harvey) from whom he received a certificate stating that it consisted of water with less than one per cent. of milk. There was no other matter detected in it, and witness asked the analyst to look especially for blood. The can seized was very filthy inside, and there was a bad smell about the contents. The witness said that he would like to add that he had had several complaints from the defendant's customers.-Cross-examined: He had not discovered that this water was used to bathe the pony's leg; he had discovered just the contrary. Defendant gave him no explanation as to what the water was for until six hours afterwards, when he stopped him coming from the station at ten o'clock at night, and said he wished to tell the "truth" about it. Defendant said his pony was frightened by a bicycle, and slipped down on the kerb in Effingham Street, cutting its knee, and he got the water from a person's house in the neighbourhood to bathe it with, using the rag that was on the top of the can. Defendant told witness he used the rag as he had no other. He did not explain that the colour of the water was caused by using the milky rag and soap. Defendant at the same time told witness that he used the can seized for collecting fowls' victuals in, and that it had nothing to do with the milk. Witness had every reason to believe that the water was carried in the cart to mix up with the milk.— Witness added to his evidence in chief that he had examined the pony's knees with Police-Constable Axon, and there was not the slightest symptoms of any recent injury.

After some corroborative evidence had been given, Mr. Mercer, for the defence, said he was instructed that this was a malicious prosecution. The statement made to him by his client (who could not be put in the witness box) was that on the day in question his pony was frightened by a bicycle, and that it fell down on to the kerb in Effingham-street and cut a piece out of its knee about the size of a five-shilling piece. He went to his sister's and procured some water which had soap in it to bathe the pony's knee. Unfortunately, Mr. May caught him and tried to suggest that it was in his cart for the purpose of adulterating the milk; he submitted that it was not likely a man would run such a risk. He (Mr. Mercer) had sent for the defendant's sister who supplied the water, but she had not arrived, and as this was a most serious case for his client he asked for an adjournment to enable her to get there.-The Bench expressed the opinion that defendant had ample time to get his sister there.-Mr. Mercer said the

sister had been sent for, and he hoped their Worships would give him the opportunity of calling her, as defendant, he admitted, ought to be severely punished if he were found guilty. In conclusion, he submitted to their Worships that the summons must fail, inasmuch as the defendant had been summoned there for selling "certain milk," whereas the analyst said there was no milk, only one per cent., and that was to be accounted for by defendant having used the milk rag in the water to bathe the pony's knee. The Magistrates retired, and after a short absence returned to the Court, when Mr. Mercer said he thought his witness was present, if they would allow him to call her.—The Chairman said that if it was only as to her giving defendant the water it would not alter his decision. He then said that in the first case which was that of selling adulterated milk-defendant would be fined 40s. and 10s. costs, or one month. In the other instance-where the "milk" was unfit for the food of man-the Bench considered it a very gross case, and they would send him to prison for one month's hard labour without the option of a fine.-Defendant paid the 50s., and was removed in custody.

Sarah Austen, of 12, La Belle Alliance Square, was summoned for a similar offence, and her son appeared.-Mr. May having given evidence, put in the analyst's certificate, which stated that the milk was adulterated with 11 per cent. of added water.-Defendant's son said they could not be answerable for the milk; it was the dairy farmers who adulterated it and derived the benefit.-Fined 30s. and 11s. costs. The money was paid.

HORDER V. MEDDINGS.-Coffee adulterated with 75 per cent. of chicory.

Coffee

asked for by purchaser after sale, but before delivery. Vendor labelled it a mixture, &c., on proof of which fact the magistrate refused to convict. Case remitted to magistrate because he had not found whether the statement of the mixture was for the purpose of concealing fraudulent increase in the bulk of the article. Semble that it was-otherwise vendor's defence good.-44 J.P. 234.

NEW YORK STATE ADULTERATION ACT.-With reference to the list of groups of drugs and food, and the chemists to whom they had been assigned for examination, published in our September number, we are informed that the work now being done in the State of New York on the examination of food is only preliminary, and that later each analyst will examine whatever samples are submitted to him by the proper authorities, without regard to any particular group previously examined.

By the Act recently passed by the New York State Legislature, the State Board of Health were authorized to investigate the subject of adulterations in food, and they have already begun work. Inspectors have been appointed to collect and analyze samples of butter, beer, baking powder, bakers' chemicals, cocoa, cordials, canned food, confections, cereals, cheese, meat extracts, fish and fish extracts, fruit essences, ether, gelatine, honey, ice-cream, milk, molasses, lard-oil, olive-oil, quinine, sugar, syrups, soda-water, spices, spirits, tea, wine, and all pharmaceutical preparations. It may be remembered that partial investigation of this kind was made some time ago by the City Board of Health. They found that in the case of sugar of one hundred and nine samples, forty-five only were thoroughly pure and good; fifty-one, however, contained only accidental dust, while eight were marked dirty, and five were dirty. Still, in no case was there any intentional adulteration, and all the samples were free from glucose, which substance is now largely introduced. It is not likely that much which is really injurious will be found, though adulterations may be numerous enough. Still, in the matter of teas, coffee, spices, condiments, confectionery, and diseased or putrid meats, there is no doubt room for plenty of investigations.

CORRESPONDENCE.

[The Editors are not responsible for the opinions of their Correspondents.]

TO THE EDITOR OF "THE ANALYST."

SIR,-The enclosed letter is, I think, so amusing, that it might be inserted in THE ANALYST, along with the reply. I need scarcely add that I was not asked to proceed with the analysis; but it is only fair to the merchant to say that I tasted his whisky and found it very good.

Oct. 24th, 1881.

Yours faithfully,

(Enclosure.)

W. WALLACE.

Oct 11th, 1881.

DEAR SIR,-Per this post I have written Mr. Street, Glasgow, to send you from his Customs' Bonded Warehouse a labelled bottle of my blended whisky lying in bond there. Will you kindly let me know your fee for analysing the same and granting a certificate somewhat like the following. I wish to push the sale of a really good whisky in this Island (————) in place of the new and inferior whisky generally sold. I believe my blend possesses all I state on other side. Yours truly,

Dr. WALLACE, Analytical Chemist,

138, Bath Street, Glasgow.

"I have obtained from the Custom's Bonded Warehouse in Glasgow a bottle of your ‘Old Highland Whisky,' and after a careful examination and analysis of it, I find it to be an absolutely pure, old, well matured, mellow whisky. It is an excellent and wholesome medicinal and dietetic stimulant, without a trace of fusel oil."

CITY ANALYSTS' LABORATORY,

138, Bath Street, Glasgow Oct. 14th, 1881.

SIR,-I shall be glad to make an analysis of the sample of whisky, and to give an honest opinion regarding it, my fee for which is

My certificate is not likely to be quite so flattering as the form you send in your letter. If the spirit were absolutely pure it would not be whisky at all; and as I am not a medical man, but only a chemist, I cannot give any opinion as to its medicinal and dietetic qualities.

Yours truly,

W. WALLACE.

OLEFINES IN SHALE AND PETROLEUM PRODUCTS.

TO THE EDITOR OF "THE ANALYST."

SIR,-I was away from home when the proof of my paper "On the Relative Proportions of Olefines in Shale and Petroleum Products" was sent to me for correction, and hence it has been printed with some errors, which I shall be obliged if you will allow me the opportunity of correcting.

1. On page 178, line 10, after "brominated" insert the word "oil.”

2. On page 179, lines 2 and 3, for "the sulphate " read "thiosulphate."

I must also protest against the spelling adopted by the printer, who evidently has strong opinions on the subject of chemical nomenclature. I should not like the readers of THE ANALYST to think I was responsible for such a term as paraffine."

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I may take this opportunity of protesting against the loose terminology adopted by chemists, from whom we might look for better things. It is bad enough to have the terminative ine applied to glucosides as well as organic bases, but it becomes intolerable when used for hydrocarbons. We might do much to prevent such abuses of our scientific language by greater care ourselves. There is no reason why we should not write “benzolene,” “gasolene,” and “vaselene" for the petroleum products; and I should much like to see the ethylene series of hydrocarbons called olefins or olefenes, instead of olefines. Benzol, too, is an objectionable name, and when used should be limited to the complex mixture of hydrocarbons from coal tar, of which benzene is the leading constituent.

Yours truly,

ALFRED H. ALLEN.

WHAT IS ADULTERATION OF FOOD?-An American contemporary says: A recent decision in a case of alleged adulteration of buttermilk is of interest in connection with our present new adulteration laws. The judge in this case quashed the indictment (which was for watering the milk), and defined adulteration as the addition of some unwholesome ingredient for the purpose of cheating, by making the purchaser pay more than it was worth.

THE Correspondence Scientifique gives some details of the new method of extracting magnesia from sea water. The magnesia can be precipitated by lime, like any more concentrated solution. After precipitation and allowing to stand during a day, one cubic metre of sea water gives a precipitation of gelatinous magnesia equal to a volume of 80 litres. A dilute quantity of phosphoric acid is then used, and the final precipitate is considered to be a good fertilizer. The method has not yet been tested on a large scale.

Mr. J. Falconer King, City Analyst, Edinburgh, has been appointed Public Analyst for the County of Roxburgh.

RECENT CHEMICAL PATENTS.

The following specifications have been recently published, and can be obtained from the Great Seal Office, Cursitor Street, Chancery Lane, London.

1002 T. & G. Priestman & J. Longshaw. Treatment of Tan Liquors for Manufacture of Ink

2d.

4d.

6d.

1048 J. Imray

1063 J. H. Johnson

1161 E. Carey & H. Gaskell

Purification of Alkaline Solutions

2d.

BOOKS, &c., RECEIVED.

The Chemist and Druggist; The Brewers' Guardian; The British Medical Journal; The Medical Press; The Pharmaceutical Journal; The Sanitary Record; The Miller; Journal of Applied Science; The Provisioner; The Practitioner; New Remedies; Proceedings of the American Chemical Society; Le Practicien; The Inventors' Record; New York Public Health; The Scientific American; Society of Arts Journal; Sanitary Engineer of New York; The Chemists' Journal; Oil and Drug News; The Textile Record of America; Sugar Cane; Country Brewers' Gazette; The Medical Record; Oil and Drug Journal; The Canada Lancet; The National Live Stock Journal; Relative Advantages of Wind, Water and Steam, by S. B. Goslin.

THE ANALYST.

DECEMBER, 1881.

217

SOCIETY OF PUBLIC ANALYSTS.

A GENERAL MEETING of this Society was held on the 16th inst. at Burlington House. The chair was taken by Dr. Muter, F.C.S., F.I.C., Vice-President.

The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed.

The ballot papers having been opened, it was reported that Mr. W. J. R. Simpson, M.D., Aberdeen, had been duly elected a member.

The following were proposed for election :-As a Member: Mr. C. N. Hake, F.I.C., Analytical Chemist, London. As Associates: Mr. J. P. Laws, assistant to Mr. Bernard Dyer; and Mr. F. T. Strutt, assistant to Dr. Hodgson Ellis, of Toronto.

Messrs. Dyer and Hobbs were appointed auditors to examine the accounts for the current year.

The following papers were read and discussed :

"On the Estimation of Nitric Acid," by J. West-Knights, F.C.S., F.I.C.

"Note on Sugar Titration," "Somerset House Analyses," by O. Hehner, F.C.S., F.I.C. "On the Effectiveness of Centrifugal Machines for the Separation of Cream from Milk," by A. Smetham.

A Special General Meeting will be held at Burlington House on Wednesday, the 14th December next, at 8 o'clock, and among the Papers to be read will be the following, announced for the last meeting, but unavoidably postponed-"Some Observations on the Permanganate Test," by A. Dupré, Ph.D., F.R.S., &c., and also "A New Method of Testing for Alum," by A. Wynter Blyth, M.R.C.S., &c.

ON THE ESTIMATION OF NITRIC ACID.

BY J. WEST-KNIGHTS, F.I.C., F.C.S.

Read before the Society of Public Analysts, on 16th November, 1881.

Ir is generally supposed that nitric acid in acid solution is only partially converted into ammonia by nascent hydrogen (Fresenius' Quantitative Analysis, 6th edition, p. 348); but I have found that it is quite possible to obtain the whole of the nitric acid present, in the form of ammonia, when proper precautions are taken. When a nitrate is dissolved in water in the presence of sulphuric acid and zinc, the N2O, is first converted into N,O,, and after prolonged action the latter is completely converted into NH, by the nascent hydrogen.

5

As the reduction, when once started, requires but little attention until completed, the time occupied is of little importance, as the analysis can be left standing all night, and will,