270
Enclosure V.
GOVERNMENT LABORATORY, HONGKONG, January 15th, 1901.
SIR,I have the honour to submit a statement of the work done in the Government Laboratory during the year 1900.
2. The work may be summarized as follows:
Petroleum Oil and Fuel,.....
Potable Waters.
Food and Drugs Ordinance,
Toxicological,
Miscellaneous,
Description of Cases.
No. of Articles Examined.
156.
53
65
13
34
Total,....
PETROLEUM OIL AND FUEL.
321
3. Twenty-eight samples of petroleum fuel were examine 1, the remainder being petroleum oil. It may be mentione I that the average flashing point of the petroleum oil examined was 80° F. Thirty-six samples flashed at 76° F. or under, and three only at the legal minimum temperature, viz.: 73° F. No samples were found to flash below this temperature.
By rules made by the Governor in Council on December 28th, 1900, the Harbour Master has now power to cause samples to be taken from vessels entering the harbour which contain petroleum in cases. All oil flas ing below 70' F. is totally prohibited, any vessel containing such oil to leave the waters of the Colony in a similar manner to 'tank' steainers. No case oil samples have yet been examined.
WATERS.
*
A num-
4. The results of the monthly analyses of the public supplies viz.. from Tytam and Pokfulam reservoirs and from the Kowloon service show that these continue to maintain their qual ty. ber of well waters from the New Territory were examined, three of these were condene i bing con- taminated by organic matter from pa dy fielts. Particulars of these analyses appear in an appendix to this report.
With regard to the public supplies, it is to be noted that upon several occasions the samples col- lected were turbid. The turbility was due chiefly to suspended mineral matter, the filtered water being of excellent quality
5. The Food and Drugs Ordinance.-Fifty-five exhibits were examined. The following table shows the results of the examination of 42 samples taken for the purpose of Analysis by the Police and by the Sanitary Board:-
Description.
No. of Samples. No. found Genuine.
No. found
Adulteratel.
Branly, ---Gin.
Milk
-
Port Wine,...
Rum.
Whisky,
10
3
20
CHONBO
6
1
1
2
0
3
19
1
Whenever
6. In the case of Spirits it will be seen from the above table that adulteration is rare. this has occurred added water has been the adulterant, in no case has fusel oil in harmful quantity or any other injurious constituent been found.