Star.
London, England, 1824-11-05 00:00:00

HIGH COURT OF AM-MALTY, NOV- 4.

Extract from 1)r. MAIINING'S Pamphlet, respecting
adulterated Bread.
"In many years practice of my. profession (says this
ingenious physician), I -have never seen such havock
among persons of delicate constitutions, such aggrava-
tion of complaints in the unhealthy, or so many dis-
orders among the robust and strong, without obvious
causes, as within the last seven months. In grown per-1
sons chronic diseases have been exasperated, and acute
brought on with the most violent symptoms, often in a
strange, and altogether extraordinary way; and sudden
death has snatched off the healthy after meals, in k
manner new to the physician, and terrible to the survi-
vors. Infants have pined through tedious illnesses; and
complaints, at other times as easy to remove, as they are
hasty to come on in their tender frames, appear now
obstinate and unconquerable. •
As it is usual in the profession to keep a diary of
cases which fall under our care, I have, with a degree
of terror not known to me before, looked over those of
the period just named; and as the cause has, not ap-
peared in the air or seasons, or any other usual occasion,
I have considered all attendant circumstances.
" The condition of bread atThis time is such -as may
alarm the least attentive; and it has been growing to
this unprecedented adulteration during the months now
mentioned.—These exaggerations of symptoms, more
frequent illnesses, and sudden deaths, have kept time
with the adulteration of the bread. For this reason I
have endeavoured to explain to the public the nature
of that universal food ; to shew what bread is, and
what it should be; and its effects when genuine, and
when sophisticated.
" The difference between bread made as it should
be, and such as is now sold, is obvious to the senses;
and a few rules will serve to shew when it is more,
and when less adulterated. Pure bread is of a clean
colour and mellow texture, the crust is brown, the
crumb soft when moderately new, the smell is fresh,
pleasant, and wholesome, and the taste sweet. On the
contrary, the crumb of adulterated bread is harsh, and
the crust pale: the smell is raw and disagreeable, and
the taste has nothing of that sweetness; neither has the
crumb at any time the due consistence, for it is made
up of ingredients which will not mix with the yeast and
water in manner that flour does. The paleness of
the crust is one great article, and it depends upon this
plain cause; flour when burnt becomes brown ; but the
ingredients added to bread by those who adulterate it,
remain white in the fire. Whiting, lime, alum, and
ashes of bone::, are alike in this respect ; they will con-
tinue white when burnt; and therefore, the more there
is of them in the bread, the paler will be the crust.
There cannot be a more obvious way of discovering the
fraud, than by comparing the crust of an honestly made
loaf with that of one of the others.
We shall lay down in the succeeding pages more
certain methods of detecting frauds: but these are ob-
vious to the senses; and it there were no other, they
are sufficient.
" Every one knows what breed properly should be.
It is made of flour ground fro% sound corn, with a
little yeast for fermentation, a very little salt for relish,
and as much water as ss ill bring it to a paste ; this,
baked to a due hardness, is bread—the most wholesome
of all foods.
" The adulterations of it have begun eat ly ; but they
are of late increased to .a degree that is altogether in-
tolerable; and, if not prevented, will entail diseases and
misery on ourselves and our descendants. Two sets of
men concur in them, millets and bakers; the former
add all they can to increase the quantity of the flour,
and improve its colour; and the latter, receiving it
from them in this condition, charge it higher with new
mixtures. The miller adulterates. it, because the ingre-
dients are cheap, and add to the quantity; and the
baker, because he finds the same tempting profit.
" If the miller could be pardoned, who used harm-
less ingredients to recover flour which he bought as
good, but found otherwise ; or even if the baker, in time
of scarcity, added, to increase the quantity, the meal of
innocent vegetables, they might be in some degree ex-
cused : but the crime at present admits of no apology
or mitigation. There is such an abundant quantity of
corn in the kingdom, that an honest man must wonder
where it is lodged, or how the price is kept up. We
know the crops have been very good, and none has been
lawfully exported or consumed by the distillers : there-
fore the plenty is absolute and certain, however it may
be engrossed and withheld from the poor. The miller
has his price in proportion to what he pays the en-
gros;er ; and the baker is allowed the same fair profit,
whether he give more or less for it at the market. This
cuts off all apology from these persons, as well as all
necessity for the practice and should arouse the com-
passionate great against them.
41 The ingredients they add to flour are in general
six :-1. Bean meal. 2. Chalk: 3. Whiting. 4. Slaked
lime. 5. Alum ; and 6. Ashes of bones. All these may
be discovered in the bread now commonly sold; and
every miller and baker knows how to use them ; but let
them from this time forward fear a discovery and
proof: this may be made easily; and the laws ate open
and severe. There is besides these a seventh ingredient
used, of more mischievous quality than any of them,
and not so easily discovered : the physician will know
what I mean when I add that its quality is suffocation.
To this I attribute the many sudden deaths after eating.
I have separated this from bread within these few days,
and may produce it before those who have authority to
punish ; but shall be well excused from naming it, lest
I teach those who, with sufficient wickedness, are defi-
cient in knowledge.
All these ingredients answer the mealman's disho-
nest purpose, as they increase the quantity ; and they
doubly answer the fraudulent bakers, for they not only
make the less flour serve, but the burnt bones in parti-
cular take in more water than flour would; thus the
bread is rendered heavier, and the baker boasts in his
own mind that he has got the better of the Magistrate's
care ; not considering the healthy and lives of his cus-
tomers. In consequence of this, bread, which has well
been called the staff of life, becomes an arrow in the
hand of death ; men pine with diseases from it, or perish
instantly ; and infants are an universal sacrifice.
" There was no ingredient originally added to flour
for the making of bread that had a purgative quality;
but the bakers, more attentive to the consequences of
their unjust practice, than those who felt the effects of
them, soon tound that chalk and alum, burnt bones,
and the rest, gave an astringent quality to their bread..
I cannot favour these people so far as to think buma-

nity influenced them upon this occasion, for that would
have made them forbear the practice. The fear of
being discovered by this accident, set them upon their
guard ; and this gave rise to a set of men more danger.
ous to the public than themselves, called Bread Doctors.
These, who had gained their knowledge, perhaps,
from the sweepings of an apothecary's shop, or more
probably behind the counter of a retail chemist, en-
gaged themselves to prevent all apparent ill effects, by
adding. medicines of another quality. Hence jalap has
become an ingredient in our daily food; and as those
indifferent judges compute the quantity, or as the care.
less servant to the baker mixes the ingredients, our
bread becomes purgative or astringent, or approaches
more or less to the middle quality.
" That these ingredients are used in making bread,
is certain, for I have separated all of them from it.
The consequences are terrible, and it cannot be doubted
but the Legislature will take the public cause into con-
sideration. The offence deserves no mercy, because it
admits no excuse of accident; nor any temptation, ex-
cept the highwayman's cause, the plunder of the people.
" If bread be browner than it ought, hard and
crumbly, there is bean flour mixed with the wheat,
and probably no other ingredient. This is, perhaps,
the most desirable !mead that can be had in a time of
general adulteration.
" If it be white and crumbly, there is, probably, bean
flour, whiting, and alum.
" If it be white and heavy, there is reason to suspect
slaked lime. _ _ _

" If it be white, brittle, and close, mouldering into
crumbs as it is touched, probably there are slaked lime
and bone ashes in it.
" If it be heavy and brittle, whitinvis most likely to
be the principal ingredient. There is bread so loaded
with this, that it will sink like a stone in water.
" If it be heavy, rough, ,and solid, there is reason to
suspect jalap; for it is the quality of that drug to pre-
vent lightness.
" These are the obvious marks of bad bread, and,
according to these, the mistress of a family, the house-
keeper, or common servant may judge of it : but this,
though a rational conjecture, is no more than a conjec-
ture. There are ways by which those who are accus-
tomed to the analysis of mixed bodies may more cer-
tainly discover the fraud.
" The regular method to detect the fraud is this: cut
off the crust from a loaf, and setting that aside, cut the
crumb into very thin slices ; break these, but not- very
small, and put them into a glass cucurbit, with a large
quantity of water. ST,t this, without shaking, in a sand
furnace, and let it staud, with a moderate warmth,four
and twenty hours. The crumb of the bread will, in this
time, soften in all its parts, and the ingredients will se-
parate from it. The alum will dissolve in the water,
and may be extracted from it in the usual way. The,
jalap, if any have been used, will swim upon the top
in a coarse film, and the other ingredients, being heavy,'
will sink quite to the bottom. These are the principal;
and the pap being poured off, there will remain the,
chalk, bone ashes, or whatsoever else was used, in a
white powder at the bottom.
" This is the best and most regular method of finding
the deceit ; but as cucurbits and furnaces are not at
hand in private families, there is a more familiar me:hod.
"Let the crumb of a loaf be sliced as before directed,
and put, with a great deal of water, into a large earthen
pipkin. Let this be set over a very gentle fire, and kept
A long time moderately hot; and the pap being poured
off, the bone ashes, or other ingredients, will be found
at the bottom."

At Fermoy Sessions, under the Insurrection Act, on
WeJnesda y se'n nigh t, Charles 31•Carthy Considine, a
schoolmaster, from the county Clare, was sentenced to
'seven years' transportation, for serving illegal notices.
. The Baronies of Kinnaler, Kerrycurthy, and Courcies,
with the Liberties of Kinsale, have been relieved from
the Insurrection Act by Proclamation, dated 23d ult.
POPULATION OF GRBECE.—The actual ropulation of
Greece, according to the most exact calculations, and
taking a middle estimate between the different valua-
sinus which have been made, amount to four millions.
Half live on terra firma; a million in the Noma and
Negropont ; and a million in the isles. This popula-
tion, it is true, is composed of Greeks Turks, Albanians,
Jews, and Franks; but it may be with certainty calcu-
lated that the true Greeks compose three-quarters of it ;
and in adding to them those who live in Asia, European
Tut key, Russia, and Germany, the total population of
the Greeks may still, without exaggeration, be rated at
four millions. The population of ancient Greece was
net more•numerous.

Saturday night, an alarming fire broke out in a back
shop in Canal-street, Edinburgh, in the immediate
neighbourhood of Mr. Trotter's great premises, and very
nearly adjoining the great coach factory of Messrs.
Learmonth and Co. Fortunately the fire was confined
to the premises in which it broke out, which were to-
tally consumed in a very short time.
NEW WAY TO EXTINGUISH A CHIMNEY ON FIRE..—At
a house in the county of Clare, a dinner was lately pre-
paring for a considerable pai ty, when the chimney un-
fortunately took fire. The male part of the family,
with the exception of one, was absent, and little assist-
ance could, in consequence, be obtained to extinguish
the flames, which threatened to destroy not only the
dinner, but the house also. Paddy's sagacity was put
to the stretch. His resolution was taken in a moment.
lle seized hold of a large Goose which was strutting
about, mounted with him to the top of the flaming
chimney, tied a cord round his neck, and dashed the
goose, tail foremost, down the flaming furnace, and con-
tinued to draw him up and let him down alternately.
The goose, as might have been expected, kicked up such
a row in his new and unpleasant quarters, that, with the
rapidity of his ascent and descent, and the operation of
his wings as Icing as he could flap them, or he had
wings to flap, quickly loosened and caused to descend
all the remaining soot, and with it the flames in the
vent, into the regions below, where the astonished in-
mates believed that the Devil had got into the vent, and
where, though the dinner under preparation was spoiled
by the sheets of soot and flame, the goose, by the time
all was over, was nearly ready for the table ; Paddy thus,
in a jiffy, restoring the dinner and preserving the house.
Upon Lord NORTH'S retirement from office, he went
down to Bath for the recovery of his health, and parti-
cularly for his sight, which was nearly lost. The con-
versation turning one day after dinner on the perishable
condition of party zeal and political enmity, his Lordship
thoroughly agreed in the principle; " and, as a proof of
it," says he, " there is Colonel BARRE (who was as blind
as his Lordship); no man has opposed me more in the
House of Commons than he has, and I of course him ;
and yet I can fairly answer for myself, and I dare say
may equally answer for him, we should be vvy glad
AO see one another at this moments".

THE SHIP APOLLO.
In this case an application was made on behalf of a
part owner of the vessel in question, to refer his claim
for compensation against the other partners, to the Court
of Register and Merchants. It appeared that the ship,
which was the joint property of three persons, named
Tennant, Tatbot, and Nesbit, had been chartered by
the Company to proceed to India, but in consequence
of some difference between the owners, had been ar-
rested by process out of this Court, and prevented from
proceeding to sea. She afterwards underwent some
repairs, the expense of which was considerable, and
eventually, after other disappointments, proceeded on a
voyage to India, but on her return home was wrecked
off the Cape of Good Hope. The party applying at-
tributed the loss to mismanagement, and complained of
unnecessary expense having been incurred. The parties
have been litigating the question for a long time, and
offers of compromise had been more than once made,
which were not accepted.
Drs. LUSHINGToN and DODSON were in support of the
application, and Drs. JENNER and JESSE ADAMS op.
posed to it.
The greater part of the day was consumed in read-
ing over the evidence in the case, which was filled with
details containing no interest whatever, except to the
parties concerned.

' THE SIX CLERKS..

In the course of the proceedings in the Court of
Chancery on Monday, the following conversation oc•
curred :—An affidavit having been handed to the LORD
CHANCELLOR, his Lord hip asked, U What is the mean-
ing of 6 agent to a six•clerk; which I see there? What
is his business?"

Mr. Hart's client stated to his Lordship, that the agent was a per-
son who manages the business for the six-clerk.
Loan CHANCELLOR.—And what does the six-clerk himself?
Solicitor.—Attends the Master.

LORD CHANCEI.I.OII.—Then he is entirely out of the business of
his own office : he does nothing in it?
Solicitor.—Nothing, soy Lord.
The LORD CHANCELLOR (after a pause).—When I
came into this Court, the six-clerks were the most effi-
cient solicitors in the Coutt of Chancery. Some of the
most eo.iaetit solicitors were clerks of that class, and
used to transact their business, and draw up minutes
with such.ability, that we had law or no motions to
vary minutes. Btu new the six-clerk abandons his
business to a person who knows nothing at all about it.
'Tis no wonder, then, that delays have crept into the
practice, which oe formetly knew nothing cf. How-.
ever, before it proceeds fut 'her, I'll take care that soli-
citors in this Conic shall be obliged to transact their
business in person.

JOHN BRows, Esq. Inspector of Stamp Duties, who
has been stationed in Cavan for the-last nine months in charge of the
Stamp Office, has been ordered to Dublin, and replaced in that
town by WILLIAM CA LCUTT, Esq. Inspector.
Messrs. STANLEY, DEsisoN, and WORTLEY, Mem-
bers of the British Parliament, arrived at Quebec on the 19th of
September, having passed through Upper and Lower Canada.—
They would leave Quebec in about a week, on a tour through the
Southern States, and pass a part of the winter at Washington.

Sir JOHN DOWNIE, uhn, it will be remembered, was.
imprisoned by the Cortes for his•Royalism, is appointed
Inspector of the Militaty in the province of Andalusia.'
He has arrived at Cadiz, where he will terniin only a'
few days, as he has to visit more than 45 different
places. He has posted up a proclamation, calling on
the people to come forward and enrol themselves as
Royalist volunteers, to protect their King and Religion.
Monday, the 18th ult. at Wolverhampton, John
Warner was convicted in the Mitigated penalty of 30s.
John Holland and William •Walion, each 20s. John
Taylor and George Parker, each 10s. for baiting a
bull in the Beech-lanes, on the preceding Monday,
under the late Act " to prevent the cruel and improper
treatment of cattle." The offenders having promised
never again to be guilty of the same conduct, and the
object being the prevention rather than the punishment
of the offence, the full penalties of .5/. each were miti-
gated to the above mentioned sums.

PETRIFYING SPRING.-At Locker Mill, near Kilbar-
chan, a petrifying spring has been discovered, which has
excited considerable attention in that neighbourhood.
Several large and beautiful specimens of petrified
mosses, mixed with hyndstongue and other vegetable
substances, have been found upon the bank on which
the water drops. This discovery may hereafter be ren-
dered of more consequence, when the hand of man has
given nature some artificial assistance, as is the case in
other places where similar springs exist, and where
many curious productions of nature and art have been
brought forward.
There at present a Lady residing in Taunton, who
recollects the time when there were but two umbrellas
in Taunton—one belonging to a gentleman named
Noble, and the other was the property of the Clergy-
man who officiated at St. Mary Magdalen, who, on
proceeding to his duties on Sunday, hung it up in the
porch, where it attracted the gaze, admiration, and'
wonderment of the congregation.
Str Ew USG THE LION.-At a visit by a party of Ladies
and Gentlemen to the Menagerie, Exeter 'Change, the
keeper, in his routine of duty, exclaimed, " Here, La-
dies and Gentlemen, is the famous lion brought up from
a whelp, and presented to this Menagerie by the cele-
brated hartor, Mr. Kean;:' and, after pausing for an in-
stant, and turning round to Mr. Kean, who happened
to stand there, he vociferated, " and here, here, Ladies
and Gentlemen, is Mr. Kean himself !" _ _ _

At Lawrence Park, four miles beyond Linlithgow,
there is a piece of ground lower than the adjoining
country,:and covered with moss, but tolerably dry, which
the proprietor has opened with the view of forming a
pond. About four feet under the surface a great num•
ber of large trees have been discovered, which the coun-
try people have pronounced to be oak ; the wood is still
fresh and fit for use; and there has also been found
strewed upon the soil among the trees a vast quantity
of nuts, conceived to be those of the hazel. They are
quite empty, but have preserved their form perfectly.
" I am very fond of a private theatre," said Lord
Byron. " I remember myself and some friends at Cam-
bridge getting up a play; and that reminds me of a
thing that happened, which was very provoking in it-
self, but very humorous in its consequences. On the
day of representation one of the performers took it
into his head to make an excuse, and his part was obliged
to be read. Hobhouse came forward to apologise to
the audience, and told them that a Mr. had de-
dined to perform his part, &c. The Gentleman was
highly indignant at the a,' and had a great inclination
to pick a quarrel with Scroope Davies, who replied, that
he supposed Mr. wanted to be called • tke ' Mr.
So and So. He ever after went by the name of the
• DOnite 'back: =Capt. Medwin.

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