A Terrible Catalogue.

and bullock ' s liver , ancl lastly and mostly by chicory , which in its turn is adulterated with ( in addition to the foregoing pleasant adjuncts ) sawdust , carrots , ferruginous earths , Venetian red ancl umber , ancl burnt blood . At dessert , by the way , if bottled

fruit has been partaken of , the acetate of copper has probably been enjoyed ; and as to coloured confectionary , sometimes seen on the table with the fruit , it contains Prussian blue , arsenito of copper , chromate of lead , ancl a variety of other things

forming a very long catalogue . In the evening a glass of spirits and Avater may be " indicated , " as the doctors say , ancl the victim has a choice of brandy or of whiskey , rum or gin . Of the first we have spoken . AVhiskey commonly

contains fusel oil , two drachms of which killed a rabbit in two hours , while as much as an ounce of it disposed of one in four minutes . Rum—the-liquor of our sailors —often contains cayenne , cocculns indicus , and leadAvhile gin is made tasty by alum

, , sulphuric acid , which makes Aveak gin "bead" on the glass and seem stronger , acetate of lead , tincture of capsicum , Avhite vitriol and laurel Avater and almond cake ,

Avhich contain Prussic acid . On the Avhole , therefore , the tumbler had perhaps better be avoided . AVe have IIOAV brought our bewildered Briton to the end of his day , and it may be asked will he not feel very unwell after all the impurities he has

taken into his system , and if so , is it not in the power of medicine to restore him ? No doubt it might be , but alas , how is he to obtain pure physic wherewith to repair his shattered constitution . The drugs are there , but they are adulterated like

everything else . Supposing he takes a little quinine , it is made more bulky by salicine , gum , starch , chalk , sul phate of barytes , siliceous matter , stearine , and sulphates of magnesia aud soda . Magnesia again contains limekaolinand barytes

, , , while opium is mixed ivith starch water , liquorice , gums , elay sand , and gravel . Or supposing he takes a pill . His colocyuth is deprived of its strength by wheat flower ancl chalk , ancl his calomel , which ought to take rank ivith trial by jury as the

palladium of the British constitutionusing the Avord in a physical sense—is rendered , partially inoperative by chalk , Avhite lead , fine pipeclay , and sulphate of

lime . AVe have only named one or two drugs , but those are sufficient to show that if we are rendered ill by the adulterator the doctor who attempts to put us right Avill find bis skill baffled by the impurities of the drugs he prescribes . Our friend , thenhad better go to bed trusting

, to the healing poiver of nature , and not take any physic at all . " AVe have noiv conducted the victim of adulteration through his clay , judging it from the standpoint of the analytical chemistand the only Avonder is that the

, end of the twelve hours' journey does not find him reposing beneath a monument ivhich shall tell of its virtues , and at the same time expose the roguery ivhich brought him to so untimely an end . According to the authorities on adulteration

the question is not "AA hat to-eat , drink , ancl avoid , " but everything ought apparently to be avoided . The list we have g iven is by no means an exhaustive one . AVe

have only lingered on the outskirts of the great field of adulteration which lies before the inquirer , and those who choose to enter it armed with test-tube , retort , and microscope , will find ample Avork for investigation . At the same time Ave cannot help having a feeling that all our

comestibles ancl potables are not quite so black as they are painted . It is still possible , we are glad to say , to find places where unadulterated articles can be bought , ancl even those tradesmen ivho still cling to their evil habits are gradually beginning

to find out that honesty is after all the best policy , ancl that adulteration has its penalties as well as its profits . The reader may therefore enjoy his modest modicum of food , and drink without fearing a nightmare scenicalfy arranged under the

superintendence of Dr . Hassan . But be will do well to forget that ancl other ingenious analysts at meals altogether , for according to

them" Life can little else supply , Than just to swallow poison aud to die . " Whether we may all agree or not entirely with this grave indictment , we must all feel that there is a great deal of truth in this amusing description of a Briton ' s daily food , ancl that many of us Avill gladly give up so-called political reforms , for those social improvements ,