or have been intentionally added, or are the result of some manipulation which has been necessary to the proper preparation of the article.

In case these accidental impurities are of such a nature that they are likely to be injurious to health, the article should at once be condemned, and means taken to prevent its doing harm; though in this case it would be hardly just to hold the vender liable to a further degree than is involved in the loss of his property.

To this class belongs the grit occasionally found in flour ground with newly-dressed millstones. Fragments of lead are also occasionally found in flour from the lead used in repairing the millstones.

Another adulteration of this kind is common in wheat, and has caused the millers much trouble. It is the presence of small fragments of iron in the wheat. These come from the wire bands now so extensively used in the West for binding the grain by the so-called self-binders. The removal of these by electro-magnets has shown that these were not the only fragments of iron present; as the magnets not only gather up these fragments, but many fragments of iron coming from the machinery used in threshing and otherwise preparing the wheat for market.

In the same category may be placed the sand found in raw sugars, and the dirt and sand occasionally found in milk. A case recently occurred in this vicinity in which the cows had been bedded with dry sand. During the milking some of the sand dropped into the milk, and occasioned considerable annoyance, as it was found almost impossible to strain it out, and the milkman's business suffered in consequence.

Of the same nature is the dust found in the so-called "overland" teas. This dust is merely powdered tea, which is produced by the constant jarring to which the tea is subjected during its long railroad ride from San Francisco to the East. The tea is pure; but the presence of the dust has more than once served to condemn a fair grade of tea.

Another instance of the same kind was recently observed. In examining a number of samples of Cayenne-pepper the ash was found to be red, and one or two per cent too high; and it was suspected that the pepper was colored with oxide of iron. On examination, however, it was found that the

unground pods, in some cases, gave the same color and amount of ash, and that the oxide of iron was probably derived from adhering soil of a ferruginous character. A small amount of tartrate of calcium in cream-of-tartar may serve as another example.

Hassall, in his "Food: its Adulterations, and Methods for their Detection," gives a long list of articles found by himself and others in food. Some of these are hardly likely to occur. at the present time; others seem to have been copied from one book to another, without comment or inquiry as to the probability of their occurrence.

A table similar to Hassall's, but with the classification modified according to the above principles, is given below:

The above list is a formidable one, but fortunately the majority of articles sold in our markets are not adulterated with any injurious substances; and in giving the list I do not wish to be understood as saying that these adulterations are frequent or even common. But many of them have been met with recently, either in this country or England; and the health officer would do well to be on his guard against the entire list.

Arrow-Root. The only substances which are likely to be used in the adulteration of this article are "terra-alba," which may be China-clay or gypsum, and other starches. The former may be easily detected by igniting five grams of the arrow-root, and weighing the ash. The ash of a pure sample of arrow-root should not exceed a few tenths of a

per cent. If the ash is larger than this, it should be examined for gypsum and silicate of alumina in the usual way.

Other starches are detected by the microscope, a pure arrow-root being used for comparison. The most common adulteration is potato-starch.

It may be observed in this connection that arrow-root is the starch of several different plants, and care must be taken in comparisons that the arrow-root from the same plant is used as a standard.

Brandy. This when genuine is the dilute alcohol distilled from wine. As sold, however, it is rarely genuine, being in almost every case tampered with in some manner.

When it is the product of the grape it is frequently made from the fermented husk or marc left after the wine is pressed this yields an article which is very much inferior to the genuine. A large portion of that found in the market is made from so-called neutral spirits, which are merely alcohol which has been rectified by passing over wood-charcoal. These neutral spirits are colored with burnt sugar or carame▲ (known to the trade as "French color"), and flavored ̧witn oil of cognac; a little catechu is then added, so as to imitate the taste of the "wood;" and finally a little simple sirup, or in some cases glycerine, so as to take off the rough edge, ana impart a smooth taste. In this country the spirits used are generally free from any objectionable ingredient, as the alcohol made from corn-whiskey is generally very pure. The foreign or British brandy made from potato-whiskey is more objectionable, since it is apt to be poorly rectified, and to contain considerable fusel oil.

No proof has been advanced, however, that these manufactured articles are any more deleterious than the genuine brandy. The essences and other materials used in the manufacture are such close imitations of the extracts found in the true article, that it is extremely difficult to detect them; and all that can be done is to see that the article is free from excess of fusel oil. The most ready test for quality in a brandy is to observe the taste and aroma; and also to evaporate a small quantity on the hand, and observe the taste and odor of the substance which remains after the alcohol has evaporated. Good brandy should evaporate completely, and leave no disagreeable odor on the hand. If it leaves the hand moist and sticky, either sugar or glycerine has been added.

It is a good plan to evaporate 50 cc. in a platinum dish, and weigh the residue. The residue can then be tested by tasting for cayenne-pepper, sugar, glycerine, or other impurities. Brandies as found in the market generally leave a decided residue, which, however, rarely amounts to over one per cent. The brandy should also be tested for alcoholic strength; this can be done with sufficient accuracy in most cases by taking the specific gravity directly without distillation. If, however, it contains much over one per cent of sugar, it should be first distilled, and the specific gravity of the distillate determined. Good brandy generally contains from 56 to 60 per cent of alcohol.

Whiskey is examined in the same manner as brandy.

Bread. The chief complaint in regard to bread is that the loaves sold are light in weight.

The law in this State requires that a loaf of bread shall weigh thirty-two ounces. As a matter of fact, it is rarely found that bread holds out in weight. Some samples weighed in Boston a few years ago weighed from nineteen to thirty ounces. That weighing nineteen ounces was the best; and the baker claimed that, as he used the best flour, he was entitled to make a light-weight loaf. The law does not regulate the price of the loaf, but it does the size.

The bread sold in the poorer class of shops is apt to be dark in color, sour, and consequently heavy.

The most common adulteration is by means of potatoes. When flour is high, and potatoes low, bakers use potatoyeast to a considerable extent. There is nothing injurious in this use of potatoes, except that the bread is thus enabled to hold more moisture, and the consumer buys a little more

water.

The controversy on the use of alum in bread is very old, and still continues in England.

Accum in 1820 mentions its use in London, but gives but very imperfect means for its detection.

Mitchell, in 1848, says that in ten samples of bread examned by him the amount of alum varied from 34 grains to 116 grains to the four-pound loaf. This would give from 8§ to 29 grains to the pound, or in per-cents from .0123 to .0414 per cent.

He gives the following process for its detection, or rather