Full description
On 1 September 1871, Charles Watt was appointed the first Analytical Chemist. The position was under the Inspector General of Police as an office of the Detective Police (1) where it remained until at least 1879. It would appear that the chemist analysed samples of food, drink and drugs and possibly other materials to assist detectives with crime investigation.
An Act to prevent the Adulteration of Articles of Food or Drink and the Sale of certain Liquors injurious to health , 1879 (42 Victoria Act No 14) which identified offences relating to adulteration of food and drugs and specifically provided for Police to obtain samples of alcohol on sale for the purposes of analysis. This assists with an understanding of part of the role of this agency (2)
By 1884 the Analytical Chemist was a discreet agency within the Colonial Secretary's Department consisting of the Analytical Chemist and two assistants who were appointed on 1 January, 1884. (3) From 1 January 1887 the Agency appears to have been re-named Government Analyst and to consist of the Government Analyst and one assistant. (4) The following year it had become the Analytical Branch of the Medical Department (5) This structure remained in place until 1900 when the position was changed to the Board of Health. (6)
The Public Health Act, 1896 (60 Victoria, Act No 38) validated the appointment of the Government Analyst (7) authorised certain officers to take of samples of food and drugs for the purpose of analysis, setting down procedures for this. (8) A process for certifying the results of the analysis was included (9) and the Act stipulated that the tests were to be those specified in the British Pharmacopoeia (10)
New laboratories were constructed on the first floor of the building occupied by the Department of Public Health in 1897. These were occupied form 24 August, 1898 and consisted of a main laboratory of 840 square feet; balance room; Principal Chemist's office; Photometric Room; Reference Museum; Water room; Corridor (workshop), refrigerator and lavatories. The Analyst described the facilities as follows
"The main laboratory is a well-lighted apartment, which has been arranged so as to afford ample bench space, cupboards, shelving, and fittings for six chemists working at once. It contains all the most modern appliances likely to be required. The photometric room, the reference museum, and the balance-room, open out of it. The latter is fitted with slate-topped tables of brick, specially supported on girders, for the delicate balances, the kathetometer, the photo-spectrometer, and other instruments which require a steady base; and as it has a cool south-easterly aspect, a part of it is devoted to gas analysis. Water analysis is carried on in a separate room. The equipment includes muffles, furnaces, fusion and organic combustion furnaces, fume chambers, some fine chemical balances by Oertling, Paul Bunge and Sartorius, a sensitive barograph, a thermograph, and large induction coil and storage cells. Water is supplied at high and low pressure; power is furnished both by electro-motors and by water turbines; many time and labour-saving appliances have been introduced. In the basement is a cremating furnace for getting rid of organic matters." (11)
At the same time the Government Analysis described the functions of the agency as follows : 1) Analysis of foods, condiments, drugs, patent, medicines and alcoholic liquors collected under the Public Health Act, Part VIII. 2) All sanitary work requiring analyses, public water supplies, fouling of streams, sewage, and sewage effluents, chemical examination of disinfectants and purity of air. 3) Investigations relating to questions of tariff involving the amended nomenclature of articles of commerce, comparison of standards of purity, denaturisation of spirits, examination of methylating materials, and other matters affecting the Customs and Inland Revenue. 4) Toxicology or the detection and estimation of poisons, microscopical examinations and determination of the physical constraints of various toxic bodies. 5) Examination of Government stores and building materials; of articles tendered or supplied by contract, composition and value of fuels, safety of mineral oils; composition of stone, cement, brick, steel iron, oils, paints, asphalts, inks and of clothing, paper and other textile fabrics. (12)
In 1904 the Branch moved administratively from an agency of the Board of Health to one of the Department of Public Health (13)
The majority of samples tested by the Government Analyst were conducted under the Pure Food Act, 1908 (Act No. 31 1908 succeeded the Unwholesome and adulterated Food and Drugs Part of the Public Health Act, 1902 . (14)
In 1912 there were three Government Analysts and one assistant as well as two Microbiologists. (15) In 1923 the Analytical Laboratory had a staff of eleven people. The Microbiologists had moved to a separate laboratory. (16)
In 1923, the scope of the laboratory was as follows: a) The analysis of food and drug samples submitted by food inspectors for examination as to conformity with standard, compliance with labelling provisions, wholesomeness and freedom from contamination of ingredients used in manufacture and evidence of deterioration. b) Chemical work required in connection with the administration of various State Acts, including the Poisons Public Health, Weights and Measures, Factories and Shops, Liquor and Noxious Trades Acts. c) Examination of waters to determine suitability for domestic and industrial use, and sewages and effluents to determine the efficacy of sewage treatment installations. d) Examination of human viscera in cases of uncertified death not apparently due to natural causes and of animal viscera in cases of suspected poisoning. e) Chemical analysis and examination of exhibits submitted by police authorities in connection with criminal investigations. f) Various investigations undertaken for the different departments of the State, such as examination of specimens and exhibits in connection with occupational diseases; determination of toxic constituents of roots, believed to have caused poisoning, radio activity of bore waters and Iodine content of drinking water. (17)
In 1923 a total of 18,197 samples were analysed by the Government Analytical Laboratory. 16,183 of these were submitted for the purposes of the administration of the Pure Food Act 1908, 2,014 in connection with the public services of the State. (18)
In 1937, the Chemical Laboratory examined a total of 36,861 samples. The Government Analyst and the Principal Microbiologist also worked on a total of 473 exhibits with the Police Department in connection with uncertified deaths, murder charge inquiries, counterfeit coining, horse-doping, animal poisonings, rape and other charges. (19)
In 1977 the functions of the Analytical Laboratories were to provide chemical analysis for government and local government authorities, hospitals and medical practitioners, including the physical, chemical and micro-biological testing of food and water. (20)
In 1996 the Analytical Laboratories were transferred to the Western Sydney Area Health Service. (21)
End Notes:
(1) Public Service List 1871 p23.
(2) An Act to prevent the Adulteration of Food or Drink and the Sale of Certain Liquors injurious to Health, 1879 s. 10.
(3) Public Service List 1884 p. 41
(4) Public Service List 1887 p. 50
(5) Public Service List 1888 p. 30
(6) Public Service List 1900 p. 43.
(7) Public Health Act, 1896 s. 70
(8) Ibid. s. 52-54
(9) Ibid. s. 56
(10) Ibid. s. 66
(11) Extract from Chemical Laboratories report in Department of Public Health Annual Report for 1898 p. 31 in Parliamentary Papers 1900 vol 2 p. 1177
(12) Op. Cit.
(13) Public Service List 1904 p.
(14) Pure Food Act, 1908 (Act No. 31, 1908) s 28- 29 .
(15) Blue Books 1912 p13.
(16) Blue Books 1923 p10.
(17) Annual Report of Department of Public Health 1923 p3. In Parliamentary Papers 1924 vol 2.
(18) Ibid p 10.
(19) Annual Report of Department of Public Health 1937 p4. In Parliamentary Papers 1938-39-40 vol 5.
(20) NSW Government Directory 1977 p221.
(21) NSW Health Department Annual Report 1996. p24.
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