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Mr. Cutter commences his classic “Rules” with a statement of the objects some or all of which a catalogue is intended to compass. I have put these objects in the form of “wants,” confining them, it will be observed, to the catalogue considered merely as a finding list I may go to the catalogue, then, with any of the following half‐dozen wants:—

The information which has hitherto appeared in the daily press as to the evidence laid before the Departmental Committee which is inquiring into the use of preservatives and colouring matters can hardly have afforded pleasant reading to the apologists for the drugging of foods. It is plainly the intention of the Committee to make a thorough investigation of the whole subject, and the main conclusions which, in the result, must bo forced upon unbiassed persons by an investigation of this character will be tolerably obvious to those who have given serious attention to the subject. At a later stage of the inquiry we shall publish a full account of the evidence submitted and of the Committee's proceedings. At present we may observe that the facts which have been brought forward fully confirm the statements made from time to time upon these matters in the BRITISH FOOD JOURNAL, and amply justify the attitude which we have adopted on the whole question. Representatives of various trade interests have given evidence which has served to show the extent to which the practices now being inquired into are followed. Strong medical evidence, as to the dangers which must attach to the promiscuous and unacknowledged drugging of the public by more or less ignorant persons, has been given; and some medical evidence of that apologetic order to which the public have of late become accustomed, and which we, at any rate, regard as particularly feeble, has also been put forward. Much more will no doubt be said, but those who have borne the heat and burden of the day in forcing these matters upon the attention of the Legislature and of the public can view with satisfaction the result already attained. Full and free investigation must produce its educational effect ; and whatever legal machinery may be devised to put some kind of check upon these most dangerous forms of adulteration, the demand of the public will be for undrugged food, and for a guarantee of sufficient authority to ensure that the demand is met.

We publish elsewhere a report of the judgment delivered by Mr. LOVELAND‐LOVELAND, K.C., Chairman of the County of London Sessions, in the case of the Kensington Borough Council versus Bugg. The termination of this case has been called a “compromise” by some of the trade journals, and it is well to point out that it was nothing of the kind. When a conviction is confirmed in a higher court, and when proceedings are stayed upon an undertaking being given by the defendants that they will do what they were proceeded against for not doing, the description of such circumstances by the term “compromise” is ridiculous—particularly when a judgment is accompanied by remarks so decisive and uncompromising as those which were made by the learned Chairman in reference to this case. The suggestion that the case should bo brought to a conclusion in the manner indicated came from the Bench, who were evidently perfectly satisfied as to the meaning which attaches to the word “Cornflour,” and the course suggested was obviously intended merely to save the time of the Court; while the fact that the defendants submitted to the terms imposed without oven attempting to bring forward such evidence as they might have been able to get to support their position, is in itself amply sufficient to show that their advisers had appreciated the weakness of their case. There has been the usual outery in the trade journals about the sufferings of the innocent tradesman, and about “interference with the liberties of manufacturers.” In the whole history of the administration of the Food Acts in this country there are hardly any instances of prosecutions for the sale of an article under a name which is properly applicable to another, in which such outcries have not been raised. Such outcries may, however, be taken as blessings in disguise, since they mainly serve to emphasise the facts and to educate the public. The term “Cornflour” is well known to have originated from the expression “Indian Corn Flour,” and it unquestionably has a specific meaning which is not applicable to either of the two words of which the term is made up. Originally, perhaps, the term “Indian Corn Flour” may have meant the actual meal of Indian Corn or Maize, but, by the usage of more than forty years the term “ Cornflour” means the prepared starch of Maize. No doubt it has been honestly thought by some that in view of this fact any starch might bo described as “Cornflour,” but such a position is quite untenable There is no argument which can bo adduced in support of the contention that rice starch may bo described as Cornflour, which cannot also be brought forward in support of a statement that any starch whatever may be sold as Cornflour. The absurdity of this position is so obvious that it is needless to discuss it. The starches obtained from different sources are different in physical characters, in structure, and in other respects. For these reasons they are differently acted upon by the digestive juices. Moreover different starch preparations exhibit differences which are due to the presence of minute amounts of special flavouring substances derived from the raw material; and these differences it is most important to consider since they often give to an article certain characters which are required by the purchaser. A number of instances in point could be brought forward. It is no more permissible to substitute rice starch for maize starch than it is to substitute potato starch for arrowroot starch, and, for reasons which are perfectly well known and always acted upon in the medical profession, a medical man who orders a patient to be fed on a particular starch food, such as cornflour, would strongly and rightly object—particularly in certain cases —to the substitution of another starch preparation for that which he had ordered. The matter has been settled in such a way and with so strong an expression of opinion on the part of the tribunal which dealt with it, that we think it unnecessary to discuss it further.

The President of the Board of Agriculture has introduced in the House of Commons his long‐promised Bill for preventing the sale of butter containing large amounts of water, and the proposed measure appears to have been received with general approval on both sides of the House.

BOOKS and Libraries for the Blind form the subject of a paper by Dr. Robert C. Moon in the May Library Journal. The writer is the son of William Moon, the inventor of the system of embossed writing bearing his name. He describes the systems of writing for the blind in use, and the various agencies for circulating literature. After examining the existing departments for the blind in Public Libraries, he comes to the conclusion that “all the libraries need more books, and if they are to reach and teach the adult blind they must have a fair proportion of them in the Moon type. All Public Libraries should possess a few works printed in the various types, care being taken to have a good supply of those embossed in the special type which is taught in the schools for the blind of the immediate locality, in order that the pupils in vacation time, and the graduates of the schools may be provided with reading matter, but the infirm and aged blind will be found in almost all communities, and for them books printed in the Moon type are indispensable. Alice S. Tyler describes the League of Library Commissions. “The success of the experiment in co‐operation which was inaugurated in 1901 by the library commissions of Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa, whereby printed matter of common interest and equal necessity and value to these commissions was issued jointly, led to the suggestion that a national organization might more economically carry forward these and other lines of co‐operative work, leaving to the overcrowded state commission workers more time and money for the peculiar problems of each state.” This suggestion was brought up at the St. Louis conference, and resulted in an organization being formed under the title of the League of Library Commissions, consisting of one representative from each of the commissions included. The particular directions in which the League will promote co‐operative work are: carefully prepared lists of books for first purchase for small libraries; lists of new books which, upon examination, had been found desirable ; handbook of suggestions and direction as to the organization and management of small libraries; printed statement regarding the aims and methods of state library commissions, with comparison of their laws; definite help and suggestions on the subject of library buildings, especially floor‐plans arranged for economic administration, growing out of the experience of the library commissions in connection with the erection of Carnegie and other library buildings within the last few years; united effort to bring to the attention of book publishers the urgent need of good, durable binding, adequate indexing, &c.

The Pagination of Books is important, as the chief guide to their completeness and order. Early books were not paged, and it is usual to collate them by means of watermarks, catchwords, signatures and other features in order to ascertain their perfection or imperfection.

[On November 7 last, at a meeting of the society which we regret to see is still incorrectly styled the “Society of Public Analysts,” a valuable and highly interesting paper, entitled “The Analyst and the Medical Man,” was read by Dr. F. Gowland HOPKINS, who attended the meeting by invitation for this purpose.

The subject dealt with in this paper is one of very wide scope, and is surrounded by many difficulties—scientific, legal, commercial and social. Its aspects are many and various, its subsidiary ramifications are widely extended and often highly complicated, and it is impossible, within the narrow limits of a single paper or lecture, to do more than sketch out its main features in a manner that will enable the general public to appreciate their significance and relative importance.

“UNDER the clock at Charing Cross Station at 8.30 p.m.” So ran our instructions for Thursday, April 13th. The weather for a fortnight past had brought snow, a wind that was nipping and eager, and weather prophets were not sanguine. One London periodical indeed had burst out with a quotation from Browning adapted to the circumstances:

The British Medical Journal observes that there is overwhelming evidence that the digestive disorders to which many young children are subject have resulted from the practice of feeding them upon certain foods largely composed of starch. Hitherto no very great effort has been made to prevent these foods being sold, beyond the general advice which is given to mothers and nurses by doctors and health visitors as to the harmfulness of them. Our contemporary points out that the County Council of Rutland have, however, succeeded in obtaining a conviction before the local justices against a druggist for selling an infants' food which was found by the Public Analyst for the County to contain upwards of 70 per cent. of practically unaltered starch, and which was therefore held to be not of the nature, substance, and quality demanded by the purchaser. It appears that the preparation was described as being suitable for an infant only a few days old. A dessertspoonful of the mixture was directed to be put into a basin to be mixed to the thickness of a smooth cream with cold milk or water; to this was to be added half a pint of milk and water in equal parts, and it was then to be brought to the boil. It was contended by the vendor that the boiling would convert the starch into sugar, and this view was supported by a member of the “Society of Public Analysts and other Analytical Chemists.” The British Medical Journal further observes that there are some artificially prepared infants' foods, not containing 70 per cent of starch, in which the conversion of the starch into saccharine bodies may become complete, but considers that it is not very satisfactory that the harmfulness or otherwise of such preparations should be left to the decision of a local bench of magistrates—a course which may well be compared to our disadvantage with that which it is now possible to adopt in Queensland under the provisions of the Health Act of 1911. Section 17 of the Act enables the Health Commissioner to cause to be examined any food which is advertised, for the purpose of ascertaining its composition, properties, or efficiency. He may then report the result of the examination to the Government and publish his report in any newspaper which circulates in the colony. Moreover, the Governor in Council may, on the recommendation of the Health Commissioner, prohibit the advertising or sale of any food which, in the opinion of the Commissioner, is injurious to life or health. Until such an enactment is in force in this country it must be left to other public authorities to follow the example of the Rutland County Council.,