H.—3l

53

Police Department. Two cases were investigated for this Department, one case of suspected poisoning in which no trace of poison either organic or inorganic could be found, and the other a case of strychnine poisoning in which a quantity of strychnine was isolated from the specimens submitted by the Department. Defence Department. The 12 samples examined for this Department consisted of 6 samples of water drawn from the ballast-tanks of the troopship " Ruapehu." These were examined for their chlorine-content. The water was to be used for horses, and the examination was for the purpose of ascertaining whether the, ballast-tanks were sufficiently free of sea-water. The chlorine-content of these six samples was below 10 parts in 1.00,000. The other six samples were two of coffee and chicory, one of black pepper, one of white pepper, and two of condensed milks. The analyses were to ascertain whether the samples complied with the Army Service Corps Regulations. Details of samples analysed according to the list above,: 1. Milk : 112 samples for the. Public Health Department. 2. Butter : 2 samples for the Public Health Department. 3. Margarine : 5 samples for the Customs Department. 4. Water: Of the 18 samples analysed, 10 were for drinking purposes, six for the Customs Department (q.0.), and two for the Otago Acclimatization Society for the. purpose of ascertaining suitability for fish-stocking. 5. Examinations for Police Department (q.0.). 6. Miscellaneous.- -The 44 samples under this heading include patent foods for infants and invalids (to ascertain if these conformed with the regulations for labelling under the Sale of Food and Drugs Act, 1908), condensed milks, rice, coffee, pepper, chocolate, milk, sugar, limejuice, vinegar, oils, guanos, phosphate rocks, samples of coke and steel for sulphur, and also two samples of human milk. Schedule of specimens analysed from Ist April to 31st December, 1914 : — 1. MILK. (Contributed by the District Health Officer.) No. Locality. No. Locality. 3-8 .. .. Dunedin. 64-65 .. .. .. Queenstown. 9-11 .. .. .. Invercargill. 66-71 .. .. .. Dunedin. 12-17 .. .. .. Dunedin. 72-75 .. .. .. Gore. 18-23 .. Invercargill. 84-89 Dunedin. 24-29 .. .. .. „ 90-96 .. .. .. Oamaru. 30-35 „ 97-104 .. .. Dunedin. 36-41 . . .. . . Dunedin. 105-108 . . Gore. 42-47 „ 109-113 .. .. Dunedin. 48-53 .. .. .. Invercargill. 114-119 .. 54-59 .. „ 121-123 .. .. .. Bluff. 60-63 .. .. Gore. 2. BUTTER. (Contributed by the District Health Officer.) ;No. Looality. J and 2 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Dunedin. 3. MARGARINE. (Contributed by the Customs Department.) No. Looality. 88-12 .. .. .. .. Dunedin. 4. WATERS. No. Looality. Contributor. 814 .. .. Milton .. .. .. Milton School Committee. 815 and 16 .. Balclutha .. Balclutha Corporation. 818-24 .. ! Dunedin and neighbourhood . . Dunedin City Corporation. 831 (6) .. T.s. " Ruapehu," Port Chalmers .. Defence Department. 832 and 33 .. Leith, Dunedin . . .. .. Otago Acclimatization Society.