ADULTERATED TEAS.

Manawatu Times, Volume V, Issue 154, 20 August 1881, Page 2

ADULTERATED TEAS.

At the EjiineiMn C»ty Police Court, last week, a merchant named William O'Nie], was cbavged with having offered for sale fifty quarter chests of p~een tea, knowing: the same to be spi'riops and adulterated. A pood deal of pnbl'c interest was manifested m the case, it being one of snch great impor^ce, as putting the public health— even )>fe at stake. It was, it appears, only by tbe merest chance that tb--» snuriods article was discovered and happily, the sale or use of it has thereby been prevented, and tbe dread comequencoa averted. The Inspector of Weights and Measures m pursuance of his duties, happened to drop into the warehouse m quesh'oo, and seeing a quantify nC-tea, took a cample, wlrch he forwarded pealed to Professor Black, to be analysed The result was quickly to hand, :md wbich proved most startling. The Professor hav'ng analysed the too, SiubnyUed the (ql.'qwjog report :— " The

tea contains 10 per cent, of its weight of sand and earthy matter ; a considerable proportion of foreign or spurious leaves ; crushed or broken fragments of tea seed (these should not be present) ; some Vegetable substance resembling cork ; vegetable glutinous matter containing starcb ; a small proportion of sulphate of lime; and a lime coloring matter that I have not been able to identify." Such a report on our iavoritu be^rage, ig certainly not very enticing, and thus affords one more striking instance of the necessity of home Very strict legislature on on these maters. Sugar, imported into the colouies, has m several instances been found to contain alarming proportions of poisonous matter, m some cases! ■tr^ c i. ih ;3 and now we find that we are not auro iiuout ttie tea we use, for it is only naural to suppose, that if one shipment is adulterated to such, an extent that others will be, more or less. In the casein point, we do not. for a moment suppo3c that the importers knew the article to have -been adulterated, indeed evidence adduced proved to the contrary ; still this does not alter the circumstance ; and only points to the great necessity of. all' future importations being thoroughly analysed by competent meu, before it leaves the bondage store, or is disposed < of to small dealeis. The same stiiugiU measues should be introduced as is uuw 111 force with regard to the kerosene imported into the colony ; the only difference between the articles is, that one is an explosive, and the other of a poisonous nature.