THE ADULTERATION OF MILK. 529 



wings of ligbt. As we watch them in their courses, the true music of 

 the spheres comes to our listening ears, the chorus of creation — faint 

 with distance, for it is by slow apjjroaches that man draws near to it — 

 chanting the grandest of epics, the Poem of the Universe ; and the 

 theme that runs through it all is the reign of law. Do not be afraid 

 to become a star-gazer. The human mind can find no higher exercise. 

 IIg who studies the stars will discover — 



"An endless fountain of immortal drink 

 Pouring unto us from heaven's brink." 



THE ADULTERATIO^sT OF MILK. 



Bt Peofessob C, HANFOED HENDERSON. 



THE absolute necessity of maintaining a certain standard of purity 

 in food-products, has led, in most of the States, to a comprehen- 

 sive and somewhat stringent legislation concerning adulteration. Par- 

 ticularly is this the case as regards the products of the dairy. The 

 official inspection busies itself with both the qualitative and quantita- 

 tive value of these articles. Of all the foods supplied directly by 

 Nature, milk is the only one which contains all the elements of nutri- 

 tion in the relative proportions required by man, and in a form easy 

 of digestion ; it is therefore the food best suited to young children 

 and invalids — persons who can ill afford to have their food tampered 

 with in any way. This consideration, together with the universal use 

 of the article, has determined the adoption of a system of public in- 

 spection in nearly all of our larger cities. The States of Massachu- 

 setts, New York, and Michigan have given particular attention to the 

 honesty of the milkman, and the standards of quality and methods 

 of analysis established by their .public analysts have been generally 

 adopted by chemists all over the country. Yet, in spite of the vigi- 

 lant eye which is thus constantly watching this department of the 

 farm, pounds of butter weighed according to a system of units not 

 recognized in the arithmetics, milk which contains an abnormal per- 

 centage of water, and ci-eam whose composition will not bear investi- 

 gation, are daily sold in the market-places of both city and country. 



But there are, of course, two sides to the question. Xot unfre- 

 quently the milkman is accused entirely without cause. There are 

 few housekeepers who do not sincerely believe, in spite of an other- 

 wise general faith in mankind, that he, at least, will bear watching. 

 The analyst, however, is a perfectly unprejudiced person. He cares 

 little for the protestations of the vender, or the suspicions of the cus- 

 tomer. He simply says, "Your milk should have such and such a 

 specific gravity ; it should contain such and such percentages of fat, 

 of other hydrocarbons, of mineral salts, and of water : if it contain 



TOL. XXXII. — 34 



