Adulterations detected, or, Plain instructions for the discovery of frauds in food and medicine

Front matter

TOE ROYAL SOCIETY

OF HEALTH

Founded 1876 LIBRARY REGULATIONS

Dedication

TO

WILLIAM SCHOLEFIELD, Esq., M. P.

Cljairmciii of t^c Committee of tijc Douse of Coinmons on ^bulteration.

Preface

The present work is not intended to supersede my previous book, entitled Food and its Adulterations ; " the plans and objects of the two works being distinct.

The principal objects of the first and larger work were, and still are, to demonstrate the existence of extensive adulteration, in all the more important articles of daily consumption, as actually supplied by merchants and traders to the public ; to show that adulteration largely affected the pecuniary interests of the consumer and the revenue ; and that it was a question most seriously affecting the public health. These objects the work in question has fully accomplished.

As one of the results of my former investigations, the importance of the subject of adulteration has been recently officially acknowledged by the appointment by the House of Commons of a Select Committee to inquire into the matter. This Committee, under the able presidency of Mr. Scholefield, M.P. for Birmingham, zealously prosecuted its inquiries for two sessions of Parliament, and the result has been to confirm, to the full extent, the accuracy and fidelity of the investigations, in the prosecution of which, mainly through the medium of " The Lancet," I have been engaged for so many years. The Eeport of this Committee has been laid before the House. It acknowledges that adulteration widely prevails; that the evil vi

PREFACE.

requires to be dealt with by the Legislature ; and it contains suggestions and recommendations for the suppression of adulteration.

The Committee state that they " cannot avoid the conclusion that adulteration widely prevails." " Not only is the public health thus exposed to danger, and pecuniary fraud committed on the whole community, but the public morality is tainted, and the high commercial character of the country seriously lowered both at home and in the eyes of foreign countries."

These are grave statements and admissions, made on the very highest authority.

The chief purpose of the present work is to furnish plain instructions, microscopical and chemical, embodying the results of extended practice and experience, for the discovery of adulterations in Food and Medicine.

To accomplish this object effectually, it will be necessary that the adulterations to which each particular article of consumption or drug is subjected, should be described in as concise yet clear a manner as possible. The treatise will therefore not be limited to a mere description of the methods by which adulteration may be discovered, but will contain much information in relation to adulteration in generaL

The best method of putting a stop to adulteration is undoubtedly to destroy the security attending the practice of it.

Tlie first step necessary for the accomplishment of this object is to supply the means requisite for the discovery of adulteration.

The happy application of the microscope to the subject of adulteration, has furnished the means of detecting a host of adulterations, the discovery of which had before, for the most part, been considered to be impossible ; but still practical explanations and details are required to enable others to employ the instrument with advantage for that purpose; and the same remark applies to chemistry. Such necessary detciils and cxpla-

PREFACE. Yll

nations, accompanied by a large number of microscopical illustrations, it is hoped will be found in the pages of this work, and that, through its instrumentality, the many hundreds of microscopists and chemists scattered over all parts of the country, will be induced to apply themselves to the discovery of adulterations in articles of food and medicine, in the respective neighbourhoods and localities in which they reside. Should this anticipation be realised, "a heavy blow and great discouragement " will be inflicted upon all adulterators, for the security in which their proceedings were formerly conducted will be for ever destroyed.

The more frequent discovery of adulteration will doubtless lead, in many cases, to the publication of the names and addresses of the parties perpetrating it. It was this publication which contributed so essentially to the success of my reports in " The Lancet." By it direct responsibility was secured, the honest tradesman was distinguished from his unscrupulous competitor, and in many instances the offence of adulteration was brought home to the parties actually guilty of it.

This unparalleled proceeding was in the first instance, and when science had been but imperfectly applied to the detection of adulteration, attended with the utmost hazard, not only to Mr. Wakley, who suggested the publication of the names, and who incurred the legal risk attendant thereon, but also to myself, staking as I did reputation and prospects alike upon the issue of a most arduous and responsible undertaking.

In publishing the present treatise, and in thus supplying a public want, I am realising a suggestion for the suppression of adulteration which I made in evidence before the Select Committee on Adulteration, in July 1855, namely, that a cheap treatise on adulteration should be published, which " should be illustrated with wood-cuts showing the microscopical appearances and structure of the different articles, both genuine and vm

PREFACE.

adulterated, and containing plain directions for the discovery of adulteration."

The work to which I have given the title Food and its Adulterations," comprises the Reports, carefully revised, of the Analytical Sanitary Commission of " The Lancet." These reports were published at short intervals in that periodical for a term of four years, commencing January 1851, and ending December 1854, and they contained 2387 analyses, of which 2063 were of articles of food, and 324 of drugs.

Of these analyses, which were for the most part both microscopical and chemical, 2222 were made by myself; and the reports being all written by me, I retain the copyright of them under a special agreement.

In the present work, the analyses above referred to are not given, but merely the general conclusions or results derived from those analyses ; in addition to which, this work contains the results of the analyses of several hundreds of samples of articles of food and drugs which have never been published in " The Lancer," and the whole of which have been made by myself during the years 1855 and 1856.

Availing himself of a temporary misunderstanding between myself and Mr. Wakley, Dr. Letheby put forward, some time back, a claim of so exaggerated and incorrect a character for participation in the work of " The Lancet" Commission, which claim lieattempted to support by the publication in "The Times" newspaper of extracts from my private and confidential letters addressed to him, that I, injustice to myself, consider it necessary to define once more in this place the extent and nature of the assistance rendered by Dr. Letheby.

Having been on terms of intimacy with him for some years, I employed him occasionally to make certain analyses both for myself and for " The Lancet," I sending him the samples, and indicating the particulars required. Tlie results were in

PREFACE.

IX all cases returned direct to me, the analyses charged for and the accounts made out by Dr. Letheby in my name, he not holding, during the whole time or in a single instance, the slightest communication either with Mr. Wakley or with any person connected with " The Lancet."

The accounts and other documents furnished by Dr. Letheby having been fortunately preserved, they were submitted to the scrutiny of Mr. George Bolton, the Rev. R. S. Daniell, M. A., and others. The gentlemen whose names are given above drew up a Report, embodying the results derived from an examination of the accounts, &c., from which the following is extracted : — ■

" The accounts rendered by Dr. Letheby, being so clear and in his own handwriting, furnish indisputable and conclusive evidence of the actual number of analyses performed by him, some of them being partial analyses only. Thus it is distinctly shown that the entire number of chemical analyses performed by Dr. Letheby, viz. 165, bears but a very small proportion to the number of the analyses, as well microscopical as chemical, performed by Dr. Has sail, viz. 2481.

"Of these samples 63 were of tobacco and snuff, and 53 of opium ; thus leaving 48 samples of all other kinds ; but it is to be especially noted that the analyses of these 53 samples of opium are not recorded in Dr. Hassall's work on ' Food and' its Adulterations.'

" As witness our hands this first day of August, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.

Raymond S. Daniell, M. A., Oxon.

"George Bolton.

" 9. Queen Street, Brompton."

It is perhaps necessary to state that in the new analyses, amounting to some hundreds, the results of which are recorded

X

PRErACE.

in this work, over and above the 2481 before alluded to, Dr. Letheby has had no part whatever.*

For the information contained in this work respecting the duties upon, and consumption of the various articles treated of, we are indebted to Mr. T. C. Kent, of Upton-on-Severn, and A. W. Fonblanque, Esq., of the Statistical Department of the Board of Trade, to both of whom we tender our sincere and cordial thanks for the aid thus afforded.

The author has spared no pains or expense to insure the fidelity and careful execution of the wood engravings. Of these about two-thirds were drawn on wood by Mr. Henry Miller, under the direct superintendence of the author^ and the others by Mr. Tuffen West, with the exception of the figures of liquorice, which were drawn by Mr. Searson : they were all engraved by Mr. Hart of Gloucester Street, Bloomsbury Square. Nothing could exceed the care bestowed by each of the artists named upon the execution of the figures, and the author believes that no engravings of microscopic objects have hitherto been produced on wood superior, and but few equal, to those which will be found dispersed through the pages of the present work.

It is not a little singular that Mr. Miller and Mr. West, two of the best microscopic artists we have had, both commenced their careers as artists with the author. The first drawings from the microscope made by Mr. Miller, were for "The Microscopic Anatomy of the Human Body" about tea years since, from which time until his death, which occurred recently, he continued, except for a few short intervals, in the author's service. Mr. West also resided with the author for a time, and his first microscopical drawings were also for the work above mentioned.

Bennett Street, St. James's Street, January 12lh, 1857.

* For a fuHpr refutation of Dr. Letheby's claim and exposure of his conduct, the reader is referred to a Paniplilet by James Caesar Duinford, Esq., Barrister, John A. Power, L. M., M. A., Cantab, and Raymond S. Daniell, M. A. Oxon. ; published by William 'I'eggand Co., 85. Queen Street, Cheapside.