EMPTY COFFIN MYSTERY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 144, 20 August 1941, Page 6

EMPTY COFFIN MYSTERY

FACTS FOR FICTION

ANALYST'S PROBLEMS

PIHA ARSON CASE REPORT

DOMINION LABORATORIES

Useful and factual material for detective or romantic fiction may sometimes be found tombed 1 in official reports. For instance, what a story might be woven around the .Report of the Dominion Analyst for 1941, in which it is shown that " the most interesting investigation for the police was carried out in Auckland" The problem was that of the identification of «lay in connection with a case of arson in which human remains were found after the fire. In this case a heavy claim for insurance was involved.

Body snatching was suspectedHere were human remains, bones of someone who had certainly lived and perhaps had loved. Whence came they? This was the problem set for solution by the police, who called on the analyst to help them. A shovel was found and Closely 'scrutinised clay adhering to it was caxefully scraped off. Then a search for other clays was made, and no fewer than 28 cemeteries were visited and clays collected from them. These clays were all compared with the day on the shovel. Then the analyses were narrowed down to samples of clay collected in various parts of one cemetery. Finally, a grave m that cemetery was opened, and a coffin dug up. It was empty! Then the police obtained important material for further research, and went to work on it.

Human Frailty

But in general the work of the Government Analyst and his staff is rather prosaic. It has to see what is and what is not in many things in common or particular use, human nature being as it is. Mistakes are made., some of them intentional others not. Milk, for example, is an important article that is under constant observation. Last year 13,142 samples of milk were analysed.!. Some of these were found deficient in fat content, some had been '' broken down" with water, some were stale all were taken from milk offered for sale. The record, however, was not so unsatisfactory as to be disquieting. This is shown by the Government Analyst in Dunedin, who reported that the proportion of stale milk and watered milks below standard was " considerably. lower than in 1938, while the proportion of samples deficient in fat increased slightly.'' The Government Analyst remarks: " The experience of all centres would confirm this opinion." However, Wellington city had but six samples of milk low ip fat, eight watered, one stale,- and four others slightly below standard in some respect, and these few out of 1637 samples taken. Milk in country towns had 21 samples low in fat and 31 samples watered,. Auckland provided) 112 samples .of watered milk out' of 5025 samples analysed. All reports agree that milk for school children is under constant scrutiny. Export samples of butter examined at Auckland numbered 4983.

Meats and Medicines.

Sausages are not overlooked, and many yamples of them are submitted to analysts to whom nothing is a mjstery or allowed to escape their penetrating: attention. Minced meat charged with chemicals to preserve it are under constant inspection. Samples of sausages dealt with numbered 23, and of minced meat 43. In some of these articles no preservatives were detected others had sulphur dioxide put in to keep them sweet. • Christchurch had six samples of tripe examined. They were found to have been made white by chemicals.' Prosecutions of those who sold this tripe were successful. j Olive oil was found to ' eked out" with (Continued t\\ foot of next

a,id; bacon was found to be rancid for all that it had been laoded with boric acid. In some milk shakes were found to be deficient in fat, samples of cream were found to be preservatised with formaldehyde, and in some soda waters traces of lead were discovered.

The analyses appear to have come through very well.' Beer was not overlooked, some 50 samples being- analysed, and succinic acid' was present in one sample in sufficient quantity to interfere with the determination of preservative. Medicines analysed included camphorated oil, lime water, ointments, olive oil, and other med,icina,l preparations. It is remarked that extravagant for certain a