H.—22

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111. REPORT OF THE DOMINION ANALYST AND CHIEF INSPECTOR OF EXPLOSIVES. LABORATORY REPORT. Dominion Laboratory, Wellington, 14th June, 1921. During the year various Government Departments forwarded samples as follows : — Customs .. .. .. .. 289 Public Health—continued. Defence Forces .. .. .. 10 Dunedin .. . . .. .. 24 Explosives branch .. .. .. 264 Napier .. .. .. .. 238 Justice (Police) .. .. .. 12 Wanganui.. .. .. .. 47 Mines— Wellington .. .. ..2,064 Geological Survey .. .. .. 114 Public Works .. .. .. 51 Head Office . . .. .. 56 Railways .. .. .. .. 11 Engineers and Inspectors .. .. 115 Other Departments .. .. .. 21 Prospectors .. .. . . 276 Public bodies and. Crown Commissioners 34 Post and Telegraph .. .. . . 105 Research (Laboratory) . . .. 29 Public Health — .. .. .. Miscellaneous .. .. .. 44 Auckland .. .. .. .. 21 Christohurch .. .. .. 66 Total .. .. ..3,891 The total is 300 higher than for the preceding year. Customs. The work for the Customs Department shows a decided increase, and some of the samples were very complex, involving the separate determination of many constituents. As the reports are for official use only, no comment can here be made. Defence. Apart from the examination of cordite and exploders by the explosives branch of the Laboratory the work for this Department consisted of a few analyses of milk, water, and liquor. Justice. Only twelve samples were received from the police during the year. Seven of these were in connection with an attempted poisoning case, when strychnine was found in condensed milk, and arsenic in a joint of mutton. Among the others was a counterfeit Australian florin, composed of 85 per cent, of tin and 15 per cent, of antimony. Mines. From the Geological Survey there were received twenty coals ; twenty-three rocks, for complete analysis ; seven limestones ; sixteen clays, including an interesting series from. Southland collected by Professor J. Park ; two samples of graphite from Pakawau, Collingwood (both, unfortunately, of low grade) ; copper-ore from Puramahoi, Takaka ; ironsand from one or two localities ; and some manganese-ore of very good quality from Whangarei. A grecnsand overlying the marl at Burnside contained 4-3 per cent, of phosphoric anhydride. The Head Office contributed six samples of coal from various fields ; two of shale ; an assortment of minerals, chiefly ores of iron, mercury, and lead ; and forty-five parcels for assay for gold and silver. Some mine-dusts were examined and numerous analyses of mine-air made for the Inspecting Engineer and his staff. Prospectors' samples included chrome-iron ore from Croisilles, containing 53-5 per cent, of chromic oxide, and alum shale from the foreshore, Raglan. Good gold-bearing stone was received from Arrowtown and Bannockburn. Post Office. The samples examined came principally from the engineering and stores branches. They comprised beeswax, electrolyte for accumulators, house-line, ink, jointer's metal, lubricating-oil, shellac, solder, sulphuric acid. Several hydrometers were carefully standardized. Two commercial preparations were analysed to determine whether any risk would be involved in their transmission by post. Public Health. Foods and drugs in great variety were examined for the Department of Public Health. The list comprises boiled mutton, brandy, butter, calves-foot jelly, Carlsbad salts, cheese, citric acid, cocoa, coffee, coffee-essence, condensed milk, cornflour, cordials, cream, cream of tartar, custard-powder, dried figs, dripping, egg noodles, egg-powder, Epsom salts, essence of lemon, extract nucis vomicae, extract of vanilla, flour, fruit butters, fruit mincemeat, fruitena, granosc biscuits, ground ginger, herrings in tomato-sauce, ice-cream, icing-sugar, ices, jam, jelly-crystals, Kruschen salts, lard, limewater, margarine, milks, mustard, oatmeal, olive-oil, pork and beans, potted meats, powered cinnamon, preserved pears, rennet, Rotorua salts, salad-oil, sausages, semolina, sodium bicarbonate, sugar (for poison), tomato-sauce, tincture of hyocyamus, tincture of iodine, white pepper, water (for poison), vinegar, Zanol food-colours, Zanol food-flavours. The necessity for rigid inspection is shown by the results. Of sixty-two samples of butter, six contained excess of water.