PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS. 13

branches, particularly in the metropolis andthe large towns of the empire, the trafficin adulterated commodities should find itsway through so many circuitous channels,as to defy the most scrutinizing endeavourto trace it to its source.

It is not less lamentable that the exten-sive application of chemistry to the usefulpurposes of life, should have been perv ertedinto an auxiliary to this nefarious traffic.But, happily for the science, it may, with-out difficulty, be converted into a meansof detecting the abuse; to effect which,very little chemical skill is required; andthe course to be pursued forms the object ofthe following pages.

The baker asserts that he does not put aluminto bread; but he is well aware that, in pur-