Public analysts

Numerous methods for the alkaloidal assay of lobelia and its galenical preparations have been published and two recent critical surveys, by a special committee of the Society of Public Analysts and by Caulkin, indicate that the process of Markwell is satisfactory. Processes for the isolation and separation of the various alkaloids have been protected by patent. Balandin states that Lobelia sessiliflora contains less alkaloid than L. injiata but yields a high-quality lobeline. 

A Protocol for Analytical Quality Assurance in Public Analyst s Laboratories, Association of Public Analysts, Sheffield (1986). 

Methods published in the open scientific literature, e.g. The Analyst, Journal ofAOAC International, Journal of the Association of Public Analysts, Journal of Chromatography, etc. 

It is a common misconception that opinions and interpretations are only offered by forensic scientists and Public Analysts. Analysts from many areas are required to provide this service, e.g. those dealing with consumer safety, geology/geochemistry, oil exploration and food science, to mention but a few. Some examples are given below. 

These comments were made near the end of a talk at a meeting of the Society of Public Analysts, a group composed principally of analytical chemists and medical doctors. During the discussion which followed, almost no reference was made to Hopkins new ideas and remarks, in itself a measure of the newness of such ideas along with the inability or ignorance or lack of attention paid to such comments by the group in attendance. 

The development of standard methods of analysis has been a prime objective of the Analytical Division of the Royal Society of Chemistry and its precursors, the Society of Public Analysts and the Society for Analytical Chemistry, since the earliest of days and the results of this work have been recorded in the pages of The Analyst since its inception in 1876. An Analytical Investigation Scheme was proposed by A. Chaston Chapman in 1902. This later evolved into the Standing Committee on Uniformity of Analytical Methods and was charged with developing standard chemicals and securing comparative analyses of these standard materials. 

Hulme, B., Morris, P. and Stainsby, WJ. (1965) Analysis of citrus fiuit 1962-1963 . Journal of the Association of Public Analysts 3, 113—17. 

Another cause of concern in the nineteenth century was food adulteration, especially the addition of colouring materials. In 1851 The Lancet set up the Analytical Sanitary Commission, whose main members were Arthur Hassall and Henry Letheby. The reports of the Commission showed that food was indeed being contaminated by poisonous additives. These findings led to the first Food and Drugs Act of 1860, and from the 1870s Local Authorities started to appoint public analysts.349... 

Stewart, C.A. and Gillatt, P.N. (1996) Authenticity of single seed vegetable oils—a survey of the UK market. J. Assoc. Public Analysts, 32, 179-214. 

Chemistry and Pharmacy.23 Opened in 1870, the School was run by John Muter,24 a former public analyst, and it was one of the few private schools of pharmacy that admitted women students. 

In the article dealing with Agriculture and Food, we havo referred to the official agricultural analysts and public analysts, who are appointed under statutes to safeguard the quality oi supplies of fertilisers and feeding stuffs, food and drugs and we will now refer to other official chemists directly or indirectly concerned with industry. 

Public Analyst to the Borough of Penzance late Consulting Chemist to the Cotton Powder Company Limited and formerly Resident Chemist at the Stowmarket Works of the New Explosives Company Limited, and the Hayle Works of the National Explosive Company Limited ... 

Wood R, Englyst HN, Southgate DAT, and Cummings JH (1993) Determination of dietary fibre in foods - coUaho-rative trials IV. Comparison of Englyst GC and colorimetric measurement with the Prosky procedure. Journal of the Association of Public Analysts 29 57-141. 

Society of Natural Sciences, see Natuurkundig Gezelschap Society of Public Analysts, 186... 

James Alfred Wanklyn (Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancs., 18 February 1834-New Malden, Surrey, 19 July 1906), assistant to Frankland at Owens College (1856), with Bunsen (1857-9), assistant to Playfair in Edinburgh (1859-65), professor in the London Institution, lecturer at St. George s Hospital, public analyst and consulting chemist James, DNB, 2 Suppl., 1912, iii, 587. 

In 1980, the Chemical Society, the Institute of Chemistry and two other societies which had been formed in the meantime (the Faraday Society (for physical chemistry) and the Society for Analytical Chemistry (formerly the Society of Public Analysts)), merged to form the Royal Society of Chemistry. Early in the twentieth century the American Chemical Society organised itself into divisions representing various specialisms and interests, and was thereby more successful in preventing the proliferation of societies which occurred in Britain. 

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