Cider is very little subject to adulteration according to most of the authorities on foods. Even Hassall, who generally enumerates under each article of food a list of every conceivable adulteration that has ever been found or supposed to have been used in such food, only speaks of the addition of water, of burnt sugar as a coloring matter, and of the use of antacids for the correction of the acidity of spoiled cider. On the other hand, in France, where, as we have seen, it is very largely consumed, its adulteration is by no means uncommon, although principally confined to its watering, together with additions for the purpose of covering up such attenuation, such as foreign coloring matters. In the Paris Municipal Laboratory out of 63 samples examined in 1881,39 were pronounced "bad," among which were 26 artificially colored; in 1882,59 samples were examined, of which 30 were declared "bad," of which 7 samples were artificially colored; 2 samples contained salicylic acid. The following is considered there as a minimum limit for the composition of a pure cider, and any sample which falls below it in any constituent is considered as watered:

4450 - No. 13, pt 3 ----- 8

This is for a completely fermented cider; in sweet ciders the content of sugar should exceed the limit sufficiently to make up for the deficiency of alcohol, to which it should be calculated.

Examination Of The Samples For Adulteration

The investigation of the samples was undertaken with the full expectation of finding a considerable number preserved with antiseptics. This supposition failed to be confirmed, however, for no salicylic acid was found, and in but one case was any test obtained for sulphites. None of the samples fell below the standard proposed by the French chemists, given above, and no metallic or other adulteration was discovered.

The single exception, however, No. 4927, was an embodiment in itself of nearly all the adulterations which have been enumerated as possible in cider. It was handsomely put up in neatly capped bottles, and of a clear, bright color. Its tremendous "head" of gas when uncorked gave rise at once to the suspicion that it had received some addition to prodace an artificial pressure of gas, for pure cider does not contain sufficient sugar to produce very much after fermentation, any more than pure wine. The low content of free acid, together with the largo amount of ash and very variable content of carbonic acid in different bottles, established the fact that bicarbonate of soda had been added, probably a varying quantity to each bottle, while the dose of sulphites added was so large that a bottle has stood open in the laboratory all through the summer without souring.

To describe in detail the methods for the detection of the adulterations of cider would be simply a repetition of what has been previously given in connection with either beer or wine; the search for preservatives is precisely the same, and the detect ion of the addition of antacids has been fully treated of under beer. No search was made for artificial coloring matters, as it seems very improbable that any such should be used in this country, and no evidence of any dilution was found.