NOTES FROM THE REPORTS OF PUBLIC ANALYSTS 751 Notes from the Reports of Public Analysts T h e Editor would be glad to receive the A n n u a l or other Reports of Public Analysts Notes made from such Reports containing matter of special interest to the Society. would be submitted to the Publication Committee. CITY OF BIRMINGHAM REPORT OF THE CITY ANALYST FOR THE SECOND QUARTER 1934 OF the 1426 samples of food and drugs submitted during the quarter 91 were bought informally. The total number of adulterated or incorrect samples was 96. GRAPE FRUIT BuTTER.-This article the name of which suggests that a fair amount of butter is present was found to contain only 2.5 per cent. In appearance and taste it resembled lemon cheese but in so far at least as the fat-content was concerned it was inferior to the average sample of this commodity which usually contains about 10 to 15 per cent.of butter. The use of the word “butter” as part of the description of this article would appear to be misleading and un j ust ifiabl e. TABLE VINEGAR.-A sample bought as table vinegar was supplied in a bottle labelled “ Table Vinegar. Absolutely Pure Wood Vinegar.” Table vinegar should consist of malt vinegar and such a label as the above is a contradiction in terms. The packers were cautioned. “DOUBLE-STRENGTH” TEA.-The label on a sample of tea stated “One teaspoonful will more than equal two teaspoonfuls of ordinary tea.” The amount of extract given by boiling the tea with water was 40 per cent.-a perfectly normal figure showing that to make the usual infusion about the same quantity of the sample would be required as of any other tea.The packers agreed to delete the words in question from the labels. The label on another sample of tea stated that a half-pound would go as far as one pound of ordinary tea and in addition the article was described as ‘‘ double strength.” The total boiling-water extract in this case was 42 per cent. which is again a normal figure. Representations have been made to the firm concerned. H. H. BAGNALL CITY AND COUNTY OF BRISTOL ANNUAL REPORT OF THE PUBLIC ANALYST FOR THE YEAR 1933 THE number of samples submitted for analysis was 1375 and of these 69 were adulterated. BRITISH WINES AND UNFERMENTED CORDIALS.-TWO samples of British wine and six of unfermented cordials were examined and the following results were obtained : Description British Wine Unfermented Cordial & A I \ No.514 517 Lowest Highest Average Sp.gr. at 15.5 “C. . . . 1021.9 1076.0 1055.3 1273.1 1116.7 Alcohol by wt. per cent. 12-23 9.1 1 0.16 0.70 0.38 Alcohol by vol. per cent. 15.12 11.30 0.19 0.88 0.47 Total solids per cent. . . 8.90 22.54 14-28 60.42 27-80 Ash per cent. . . 0.313 0.150 0.005 0.10 0-05 752 PALESTINE ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GOVERNMENT Sulphur dioxide was present in one of the British wines the amount being 0.036 per cent. but it was not found in the unfermented cordials. Two of the latter however contained 0-07 per cent. of benzoic acid and were condemned, while two others contained 0.05 and 0.022 per cent. respectively. Saccharin was detected in three of the unfermented cordials. LEMONADE TABLETS-A sample submitted by the Port authority consisted of 96.5 per cent. of citric acid with colouring matter but no sugar. It was free from sulphur dioxide and contaminating metals. E. RUSSEL