THE ANALYST. OCTOBER, 1884. - SALVAGE PEPPER. DURING the past month a letter appeared in the Tiass from a firm in Upper Thames Street, calling attention to a saIe of salvage pepper. In this communication they state that two thousand hags, equal to about 240,OOOh, of pepper, being the salvage recovered from the fire at New Crane Wharf about six or seven weeks since, were sold at Wapping by public auction, and realised prices in some cases within 20 to 25 per cent. of the market value. The pepper, however, was saturated with Thanes water, the sewage or impurities in whiGh had so impregnated the article as to have destroyed its essential properties and rendered it utterly unfit for human food, and in this belief the writers of the letter, Messrs. Harvest, directed the auctioneer’s attention to the fact, and suggested that the sale should be postponed until an analysis could be obtained.This, however, was objected to, and the sale was continued, with the above results. It is exactIy in such a case as this that the present Sale of Food and Dmgs Act fails to protect the public, because when this damaged stuff gets distributed to the retailers, mixed doubtless with some good pepper, it will still be .pepper, and, therefore, its sale will not be interfered with. It seems, however, somewhat strange that, if the oase be really so bad as represented, the Sanitary Authorities did not step in and ask for the destruction of the whole. We constantly hear of the seizure of decayed meat and fish, but the importers of dl other articles of food seem to be able to do very much as they like so far as any interference of the Sanitary Inspector goes. Chemically it would be very interesting to get hold of a sample OP this article and see really what effect tho water damage had upon its atrength and nature as a condiment.