62 
induced to take out the piece ; and, on 
breaking it, discovered a living toad, 
closely bedded in the marble !— New 
York paper, 
The newspapers detail the following 
extraordinary disaster: On Nov. E9th, 
1820, in lat. 479 S. long. 118° W. the 
American South Sea whaler, Essex, of 
250 tons, G. Po!lard, master, from Nan- 
tucket, was among whales, and three 
boats were lowered down. Shortly 
after a whale of the largest class struck 
the ship, and knocked part of the false 
keel off just abreast of the main chan- 
nels. The animal then remained for 
some time along-side, endcavouring, but 
in vain, to clasp the ship with her jaws: 
she then returned, went round the 
stern, came on the other side, and went 
away a-head about a quarter of a mile, 
when suddenly turning, she came at 
the ship with tremendous velocity, head 
on. The vessel was going at the rate of 
five knots ; but such was the foree when 
she struck the ship, which was under 
the cat-head, that the vessel had stern- 
Report of Chemistry and Experimental Philosophy. 
[Feb. 1, 
way at the rate of three or four knots ; 
in consequence of which, the sea rush- 
ed into the cabin windows, every man on 
deck was knocked down, and the bows 
being stove completely in, the vessel 
filled, and went on her beamends. By 
cutting away the masts, the vessel right- 
ed; the upper deck was then scuttled ; 
and some water and bread were prv- 
cured for the two boats, in which the 
captain and crew, in expectation of fall- 
ing in with some vessel, remained three 
days by the wreck. One of them, con- 
taining only three men, was picked up 
by an American whaler about sixty days 
after the wreck. The other, in which 
the captain was, was fallen in with 
by another whaler ninety days from the 
time of their leaving the island. Only 
two of her crew then survived, and their 
account of their sufferings was dread- 
fulin the extreme. Eight times lots 
had been drawn, and eight had been 
sacrificed fo afford sustenance to those 
that remained. 
REPORT OF CHEMISTRY AND EXPERIMENTAL PHILOSOPHY. 
~<a 
41. DMUND DAVY, esq. Professor of 
3 Chemistry and Secretary to the 
Royal Cork Institution, has published 
some experiments made with a view to the 
detection and prevention of frauds in the 
sale of skimmed milk; together with an 
account of a simple lactometer for effecting 
that purpose. Skimmed milk, he says, is 
used toa very great extent in Ireland, and 
especially in the South; the sale of skim. 
med milk in the markets of Cork alone, 
amounts to about 1000]. per week. It is 
therefore of much importance, that an 
article which essentially contributes to the 
support of a very large portion of the com- 
munity, should be supplied in a genuine 
unadulterated state. An instrument on 
the principle of the hydrometer, seemed to 
promise the simplest means that could be 
employed for the detection and prevention 
of frauds in the sale of skimmed milk. 
After | had carefully made above one hun- 
dred experiments upon genuine skimmed’ 
milk, procured from many of the principal 
dairy farms, embracing all the varieties of 
eattle, soil, and modes of feeding, common 
to this part of the country ; and also ex- 
amined many specimens of wdulterated 
skimmed milk from the markets, I have at 
length ventured to construct a simple lac- 
tometer (on the well known principle of 
the hydrometer,) the use of which, I have 
no doubt, willeflectually prevent the frauds 
now practised in the sale of skimmed milk. 
The greater number of specimens were 
of the specific gravity 1:037 and 1-0375. 
Some were higher, but the highest was 
1:040, and the lowest 1-036, the thermo- 
meter being at 500. The only foreign sub- 
stance 1 could detect in the adulterated 
specimens, was water. By adding a cer- 
tain quantity of water to genuine skimmed 
milk, it became of the same density as the 
adulterated milks from the markets. By 
simple distillation, the adulterated milks 
furnished pure water, and became of the 
same density as genuine milk. In some 
cases, I found skimmed milk from the mar- 
kets adulterated with more than one-fifth 
of water; in other instances with about 
one-sixth, one-seventh, and one-eighth of 
water. The worst of the adulterated milks 
from the markets was of the specific gra- 
vity 1:026, the highest of the genuine 
milks from the markets, was 1-039, the 
thermometer being at 500. 
It is, I believe, says Mr. Davy, a com- 
mon opinion that skimmed milk is adul- 
terated with other substances besides 
water ; as for example, chalk, flour, starch, 
sugar, &c. which are said to be used for 
the purpose of concealing the water, by 
communicating as circumstances may re- 
quire a certain degree of whiteness, thick- 
ness, or sweetness to milk. I have madea 
number of experiments to ascertain the 
correctness of this notion, and I am con- 
vinced the opinion is not well founded. 
Chalk is perfectly insoluble in skimmed 
milk, and soon subsides when mixed with 
it, on account of its superior density. 
Flour and starch increase the density of 
milk, 
