First report of the Royal Commission appointed to inquire into arsenical poisoning [1900] from the consumption of beer and other articles of food or drink.

  • Great Britain. Royal Commission on Arsenical Poisoning.
Date:
1901-1903
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: First report of the Royal Commission appointed to inquire into arsenical poisoning [1900] from the consumption of beer and other articles of food or drink. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

    865/872 (page 375)
    Tests for Ahuenic^co?!tinned. De. McGowan and Mr. Finlow's DESCRirxiox oi' METHODS (in APPENDIX 22) : Methods of testing various foods and other samples received from Commission. Purification of re- agents, hydrochloric, sulphuric, nitric, sul- phurous acids, cai'bonate of ammonia, potassic chlorate, zinc. etc. Method of estimation, Marsh apparatus used, with hydrogen from: outside generator. Method of working, prepara- tion of standard mirrors. Methods employed for the extraction of arsenic before Marshing. De- struction of organic matter by Fresenius-Babo method, Gautier's method, basic method. Sug- gested simplification of Gautier's method (Ap- pendix 22), pp. 220-6. See also (Appendix 25), pp. 262-275, (Appendix 31), pp. 335-344. Dr. McGowan and Mr. Floris : Methods ix Test- ing Fuel (in Appendix 23): Preliminary experiments: Method of estimating total and fixed arsenic ; preparation of standard mirrors, (Appendix 23), i^p. 227-9. Mr. Wood Smith : Methods of Testing Haih for Arsenic : Account of methods (Ajopendix 32), p. 351. •Other References to use of Marsh-Berzelius test (Angell), 8472-518 ; (Fairlev), 9852, 9882-88 ; (Salamon), 10007; (Lyle), 11051-4; (Allen), 11975 87. Pr<^ferable to Reinsch test for skilled chemists (Salamon), 9968. Unskilled man can be trained to use (Hehner), 10167-8. Mirrors: Comparison of mirrors obtained when hydro- chloric and sulphuric acids are used respec- tively (Angell), 8481-2 ; (Thomson), 9749-50 • (Fairley), 9885-8 ; (Hehner), 10179-82. Time allowed for deposition of mirror (An^ell^ 8512; (Thomson), 9736. False mirror (Angell), 8506 ; (Appendix 29), p. 285. Action of light on mirrors (Thorpe), 11706-10. All arsenic recovered in mirror (Thomson), 9736-7 • probably so (Hehner), 10139. Effect of volume of liquid, etc., on mirror formed (Hehner), 10141-4 ; (Ling), 10470-3. I\Iargin of experimental error (Hehner), 10146 • (Chapman) 10369-72 ; (Allen), 12040-1 ; (Appendix 22), p'. Preparation of standard mirrors witli arsenic- free samples of material tested (Appendix 21) p^ 214 ; (Thorpe), 11687-90 ; (Appendix 22), np- 222-5 ; (Appendix 23), p. 229. ^ 'Zinc : (Angell), 8475; (Thomson), 9750-4; (Fairlev) 9882-8 ; (Hehner), 10096-7, 10105, 10119, I()129 •' (Chapman), 10236-49 ; (Thorpe), 11666-74 • ( Vid- pendix 20), p. 207; (Appendix 21), p. 212 ■ (4 > pendix 22), p. 221 ; (Appendix 32), p. 351.' Prisence of Iron and Other Metals : Effect on Marsh estimations (Thomson), 9689 f'pQQ^'ni^'^r'); ' (Chapman), 10236-51', JG299-304; Ling), 10486-9, 10646; (Aj)pendix 22) , p. 225 ; (Appendix 23), p. 227. Destrt-ction of Organic Matter. Sec Organic Mattze. Determination of Arsenic in Fuel : Basic method (Ling), 10451-89, 10646; (Appendix 23) , pp. 227-9 ; (Appendix 30), p. 311 W^^^i^^^^^T^ ^^'-^ Meports and Evidence as to Wcctrolytic Method: — Possible advantages of electrolytic method 'Heb ner), 10098-10108; (Chapman), 10252 8 Advai tages ound by Departmental Committee, (Thorpe) 11656-85. Now preferred at Govern^ ment Laboratory, 11682. Delicacy, 11675-81. Report of Inland Revenue Departmental Commit TEE (in Appendix 21) : Description of apparatus. Application to malt, malt substitute.s, wori, hops, beer, yeast and yeast foods chemicals, fuel. Mode of working. S paration of standard! mirrors. Advantages of method (Appendix 21), pp. 208-212. 4676. Tests for Arsenic—cow^Z/iwerf. ' lieinscli Method: — Use of,'!for beer and otlier samples. Quantities of arsenic detected by (Fairley), 9820-9, 9879-80 ■ (Salamon), 9968-73, 10026, 10036-47; (Hehner)', 10109-13 ; (Appendix 19), p. 204. Unsatisfactory for quantitative estimations (Thomson), 9738-9 9806-7 ; (Hehner), 10127. .sVv' also Expert Com- mittee. Quantitative estimation by extracting arsenic by means of coppei- gauze (Allen), 11975. ' Quantitative estimation by comparison of sub- limates, (Delepine), 10375-80, 10425-39. Gutzeit 2Iethod:— Not reliable for quantitative estimations, (Thom- son), 9740. Uncertain value of B.P. test for arsenic in glycerine (C. Brown), pp. 255-6. THYROID GLAND : Gautier's statements as to presence of arsenic in require confirmation (Reynolds), 8307-12. TOLERANCE OF ARSENIC: (Re^molds), 8375-7; (Delepine), 10411-13; (LegRe). 11738-43. ' TREACLE: See Strut. TUBERCULOSIS : Chronic poisoning by arsenic increases susceptibility to; many fatal cases in 1900 epidemic died from (Reynolds), 8315-7; 8424-31. URINE: ^'It^' i^'''?-?!'^'^' S'^^O-^' (H. Smith), 8628, p. 16; (Thorpe), 8847, p. 31; (Woodyatt 9ol5. J ^'EGETABLES : Arsenic in various vegetables when grown on soil con- taimng arsenic or manured with arsenical super- phosphates, -pei Opinion that barley and roots may be contaminated ^fr I K^^ (Salamon), 9999-10006- 10013-17 10056-8 absorption of arsenic, Messrs. A. and A. F. Angell's Experiments a.nd Results (8463-8627). «™e.ms and Mode of applying the manure to experimental plants, 8470-1, 8485, 8526-35, 8603. Nature o experimental plants and resiUts, 8524 Places of expenment, 8593-5. No arsemc in ripened fruit or grain, 8541, 8555; traces of arsenic fo iid m .ome roots and yonag leaves, and in green P^, Methods employed in testing, 8472-93, 8540; con- trol and blank experiments, and their Jm ciency, 8499-8521. Organic matter not'entueW destroyed before testing, 8494; desirable to im 8514-8, 8610-5; comparison with phosphorus, Quairtity of superphosphates usually applied to land, 8599, amount of aiwnic in commercial .super phosphates, 8575. ^ Mr. T. Faikley's Experime.n-ts and Results (9824) : Amount of arsenic in certain speciments of soil ■ races in stubble, po.sibly duetto soil cont m ,la- t on; no arsenic detected in ears, grain, or roots P'^^^^bh. retention of aisemc due to iron m .soil, 9876. References to literature on subject, p. 66, note. Dr. J. a. Voelcker's Experiments at Woburn, ixi, Results, 12078-12163: Experiments restricted to barley, imm^eN ■un\ swedes, tabular statement of resultl 120Rq Mode of applying nianm-e in differellt' cx,S