French Mixed Court Magistrate have lately been taking steps to stop the practice of adulteration of bean oil with cotton-seed oil, which is injurious to the health of the consumer. Cotton-seed oil only costs about 2,800 cash-a picul, but bean oil is much more expensive, costing lately nearly 100 cash a catty; the profits to the adulterator are therefore large. The mixture is made by, boiling them iding lime for clarifying, which is strained off by passing the oil through cotton bags; it is then sold to the oil-dealers at 4,000 cash a picul, and they again retail the poisonous mixture to the public at the price of good bean oil, say 9,000 cash a picul. Although it does not bum very well, still if it were only used in lamps and not for culinary purposes there would not be much harm done; but the Chinese eat it, and it is said to have very bad effects, especially now, when owing to the weather, so many natives are suffering from sore throats. 16,000 catties of cotton-seed oil have been discovered by the authorities.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.