[Report 1908] / Medical Officer of Health, Bournemouth County Borough.

  • Bournemouth (England). County Borough Council. nb2004301338.
Date:
1908
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1908] / Medical Officer of Health, Bournemouth County Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    77/90 (page 77)
    LIME JUICE, LIME JUICE COKDIAL, AND LEMON SQUASH. Fourteen test samples were taken, and with two exceptions all contained either salicylic or salphurous acid or both. The proportion of salicylic acid varied from 0'77 grain to 5'25 grains per pint, and this pre- servative occurred in 9 of the samples. Sulphurous acid occurred in 4 samples, the quantity ranging from 1-24 grain (2 spls.) to 4-96 grains in each pint, calculated as SOg. I am of opinion that the amount of preservative found in three of the samples must he considered as unnecessary and injurious, viz. :—Nos. 78 (lime juice cordial) and 89 (lemon squash) with 5‘25 and 4 28 grains of salicylic acid respectively, and No. 85 (lemon squash) with 4-96 grains of anhydrous sulphurous acid in the pint. The sample of lime juice No. 81 con- tained 8-(5 grains of sulphurous acid per pint, but as this is used in a much greater dilution than the cordial, the quantity can scarcely be considered harmful. Nos. 82, 83, and 87 each contained a coal-tar dye. SWEETS. Although all these samples contained a colouring matter of some kind, in no case could any injurious colour be detected. Rhodamine and thioflavin were those most commonly used ; two contained traces of oxide of iron; one chlorophyll; and a few other coal- tar colours. Several of the samples were “ mixed sweets ” having 3 or more different colouring agents. LITHIA WATER, POTASH WATER. In June 15 test-samples were taken, the results indicating a lamentable condition of affairs, 2 of the lithias being entirely devoid of that substance and 2 others containing only traces, whilst 2 of the ])otash wat<^rs contained less than 2 grains of potassium bicar- bonate per pint. The other samj)les of potash water varied from 5‘0 to 1()'4 grains of bicarbonate [)er pint.