Postal_Guide_July_1957 — Page 24

22 Samples

Sharp instruments; pieces of metal or ore. Articles of this description should be packed and guarded in so secure a manner as to involve no risk to the contents of the mail bags or to officers of the Post Office.

Articles for medical examination or analysis. Deleterious liquids or substances, though otherwise prohibited from transmission by post, may be sent for medical examination or analysis to a recognized medical laboratory or institute, whether or not belonging to a public health authority, or to a qualified medical practitioner or veterinary surgeon by letter post, but on no account by parcel post, under the following conditions:

1. Any such liquid or substance must be enclosed in a receptable, hermetically sealed or otherwise securely closed, and this receptacle must itself be placed in a strong wooden, leather, or metal case in such a way that it cannot shift about, and with a sufficient quantity of some absorbent material (such as sawdust or cotton-wool) so packed about the receptacle as absolutely to prevent any possible leakage from the package in the event of damage to the receptacle. The packet so made up must be conspicuously marked Fragile With Care and bear the words Pathological Specimen.

2. Any packet of the kind found in the parcel post, or found in the letter post not packed and marked as directed, will be at once stopped and destroyed with all its wrappings and enclosures. Further, any person who sends by post a deleterious liquid or substance for medical examination or analysis otherwise than as provided by these regulations is liable to prosecution.

Note-Articles which would be spoilt if packed according to the general rules, as well as samples placed in a transparent cover which permits inspection of their contents, may exceptionally be admitted in a cover hermetically sealed. Samples of industrial and vegetable products may also be posted in covers sealed by the manufac- turers or by an examining authority in the country of origin. In these cases the sender or the addressee may be required to assist in the check of the contents.

INADMISSIBLE ARTICLES

The following articles are not admissible:

Goods for sale or consigned in execution of an order, however small the quantity ; Postage stamps or forms of prepayment, whether cancelled or not, or any paper representing a monetary value.

CUSTOMS TREATMENT ABROAD

Particulars of the countries which admit sample packets containing articles liable to customs duty under the green label system, are given in Section II of this Guide. Sample packets containing dutiable articles sent to other countries may be returned, subjected to fines, or confiscated according to the laws of the country of destination.

PACKETS CONTAINING PRINTED MATTER, COMMERCIAL PAPERS AND SAMPLES

It is permissible to enclose in the same packet printed matter (except literature for the blind), commercial papers and samples, see under heading "Printed Papers".