Enclosure 3.
Report of the Government Analyst.
351
GOVERNMENT LABORATORY,
HONGKONG, 7th May, 1893.
SIR,I have the honour to submit a statement of the work done in the temporary laboratory of this Hospital during the year 1892.
TOXICOLOGICAL.
2. Under this head 4 investigations embracing the analysis of 17 articles were conducted. In one case that of a European male adult, chloral was detected in portions of the viscera forwarded for analysis. In the second case, that of two Chinese adults, an alkaloid was isolated from the contents of the stomachs which did not answer to any chemical tests. Accordingly, solutions for hypodermic injection into small animals were prepared and handed over to the Superintendent of the Civil Hospital for physiological observation. Dr. ATKINSON certified as follows:-
44
As the results of experiments made with the liquids handed to me by the Government Analyst, I am of opinion that B. contained a convulsive neurotic poison. A Guinea-pig was injected with twenty minims of this liquid and died in five minutes, death being preceded by strong tetanic convulsions."
"The same result occurred with a rabbit similarly injected, but in this case death was not induced until twenty minutes after the injection of the poison."
"Negative results were obtained with the liquid A."
(Signed) J. M. ATKINSON, Superintendent Government Civil Hospital.
3. The solution marked A. was prepared from the alkaloid isolated from stomach contents measuring only a few drachms. B. was prepared from similar viscera measuring about two fluid ounces. In both cases with general alkaloidal reagents a marked indication of the presence of an alkaloid was obtained especially in the case of B. The negative physiological results in the case of A. may be attributed to the small amount of material available for analysis. This investigation is of interest in demonstrating the value of "life-tests" in cases where the poison does not respond to any specific chemical test.
4. In the other cases no poison was found.
MILK.
5. Thirty-two analyses of milk were made during the year-24 for the Superintendent of the Civil Hospital, 7 for the Sanitary Board, and 1 for the Deputy Inspector-General, R. N. Hospital,
6. The Civil Hospital specimens were analyzed with a view to controlling the quality of the supplies furnished by the Government Contractor, and the proximate percentage composition of samples from both morning and evening deliveries collected at irregular intervals of about a month will be found in the following tables :--
MILK ANALYSIS.
CIVIL HOSPITAL DELIVERIES.
Morning Samples.
Date.
Specific Gravity. (By hydrometer.)
Temperature
• Fah.
Solids not fat.
Fat.
Total solids.
Ash.
January
15............
1,030
February
9,..........
1,029
March
8,
1,028
April
5,.
1,028
May
17,..
1,029
June
29,........
1,027
July
25,..........
1,027
August 22,
1,028
September 28,.
1,026
November 8...........
1,028
December 10,.
1,030
1,030
*******NNAJA
65
9.2
3.4
12.6
.71
63
8.5
3.8
12.3
.59
65
8.9
5,2
14.1
.58
72
8.6
3.9
12.5
.70
72
9.4
3.5
12.9
.72
83
9.2
3.4
12.6
.70
83
9.3
3.6
12.9
.60
81
9.3
4.0
13.3
.63
84
8.7
4.0
12.7
.66
76
9.2
4.4
13.6
.63
65
9.0
3.6
12.6
.61
69
8.8
3.8
12.6
.64
Average,.
1,029
73
9.0
3.9
12.9
.65