weighed

Ash    of    100    grains,    weighed

62  26  :

—

17-20:  —

Carbonate  of  lime

-  42-00

Chloride  of  sodium     ■•  9-30

Siilpl

Kite  of  lime

-     8-84

Sulphate  of  lime         -  4-00

Chloride  of  sodium

-     6  56

Iron  and  alumina        -     -90

Iron

and  alumina

-     3-20

Sand,  &c.       -            -  3-00

Sand

&c.     -

-     1-66

17-20


62-26


ANNATTO,    AND    ITS    ADULTERATIONS.  471

The  presence  of  lead  in  annatto  has  been  detected,  not  only  by
ourselves,  but  by  Accum,  Mitchell,  Bernays,  and  Normandy.
Accum,  at  page  276.  of  his  "  Treatise,"  has  written  to  this  effect :
— "  Several  instances  have  come  under  my  knowledge  in  which
Gloucester  cheese  has  been  contaminated  with  red  lead,  and  has  pro-
duced serious  consequences  on  being  taken  into  the  stomach.  In  one
poisonous  sample  which  it  fell  to  my  lot  to  examine,  the  evil  had
been  caused  by  the  sophistication  of  the  annatto  emp'oyed  for  colour-
ing cheese.  This  substance  was  found  to  contain  a  portion  of  red
lead."  Accum  then  goes  on  to  quote  the  particulars  of  a  case  re-
corded by  a  Mr.  Wright,  of  Cambridge:  —  A  gentleman,  after  ])ar-
taking  of  some  toasted  cheese  at  an  inn  on  two  different  occasions,
was  both  times  made  ill  by  it.  The  matter  was  referred  to  the
manufacturer  of  the  cheese,  who,  on  inquiry,  ascertained  that  the
annatto  which  had  been  used  to  colour  the  cheese  was  itself  coloured
or  adulterated  with  both  vermilion  and  red  lead.
