ABSTRACT OF PROCEEDINGS. 
1872. 
The following are the subjects which have been intro- 
duced, and the Meetings, Excursions, &c., that have taken 
place. 
February 21st, 1872.—On ‘‘ ApULTERATION oF Foop, DETECTED BY 
THE Mricroscorr,” by ALFRED Carpenter, M.D.—Amongst 
‘the visitors present were—Robert. Hudson, Esq., F.R.S. ; 
Col. Horsley, R.E., Treasurer of the East Kent Natural 
History Society; Latimer Clarke, Esq.; Buxton Shillitoe, 
Esq., F.L.8.; and J. C. E. Harting, Esq., F.L.S. 
Dr. CarrenteR showed, in his paper, how the Croydon 
Microscopical Club might do much practical good in checking 
the evils which arise from adulterations of food. It is 
scarcely more than 80 years ago that the microscope was 
first brought to bear on this subject. Dr. Hassall has 
laboured in it so successfully that some forms of adul- 
teration, common at one time, have now entirely disappeared. 
Yet many things, in regular use, are far from pure; and if 
in this town of Croydon it becomes known that there is a 
society of gentlemen who are determined to expose frauds of 
this kind, the practice of them will soon die out. Three 
of the things which are still much adulterated, are milk, 
sugar, and coffee. There are two simple ways of testing 
the purity of milk, viz., by the amount of cream given, and 
by its specific gravity. The quantity of cream should be 
proved by placing some of the new milk in a tube ten 
inches long, properly graduated. The cream, being lighter, 
rises to the top. This should be about 10 per cent. of the 
whole. At the same time the specific gravity should be 
tested by the lactometer, which ought to exhibit from 1-029 
to 1-031. After a couple of hours any deposit, at the 
bottom of the tube, will show whether any foreign substance 
has been introduced, and the microscope will determine its cha- 
racter. Sugar may be taken as, perhaps, next in importance 
to milk in our diet. Of these, we have chiefly two kinds— 
cane sugar and grape sugar. The important point is to 
remember that grape sugar has only two-fifths the sweeten- 
ing power of cane sugar, and an inferior feeding power. 
