A "gauger" was an officer whose business it was to ascertain the contents of casks, mainly to assist in the prevention of illicit shipments of alcohol. The job of an exciseman, however, also involved checking shipments of soap, starch, candles, coffee, tea, chocolate, etc. and rules for these are also given. Special sections give advice on how to become an excise officer and "cask-Gauging" as practised in the Port of London. Judging by the book's thickness, there was a lot to learn.
