430 ANNUAL REGISTER, 
_ Iam led to thefe conjectures by 
obferving, that in almoft all the 
great dairies, the milk is fuffered to 
ftand in lead, brafs, or copper vef- 
fels, to throw up the cream. .The 
clofenefs of the texture of thefe 
metals, and their coldnefs and fo- 
lidity, contribute to feparate a great- 
er quantity of cream from the milk 
than would be done by wooden 
trundles, or earthen pans; both of 
which are alfo fometimes made ule 
of. 
As I with to eftablifh the poffi- 
bility of the fact,.that, milk may 
corrode or diffolve particles of the 
vefiels above mentioned, and there- 
fore be liable to communicate per- 
nicious qualities to the butter, I beg 
leave to fubmit the reafons from 
which I draw this conclufion. 
~ ‘Whoever has been much in great 
dairies, muft have obferved a pecu- 
liarly four, frowfy {mell in them, 
although they be ever, fo well at- 
tended to in refpett of cleanlinefs, 
&c. In fome;where the managers 
are not very cleanly, this {mell_is 
extremely difagreeable, owing moft- 
ly to the corrupted milk. In fome 
it arifes from the utenfils being 
{calded in the dairy ; and in others, 
from a bad conftrnétion of the 
building itfelf, the want of a fuf- 
ficient circulation of air, water, &c. 
but, in all, a great deal of the light- 
er or more volaiile parts of the 
milk fly off from the furface of the 
Fans, and furnifh a great quantity 
of acid effluvia to the furrounding 
air and ceiling ; which is again de- 
pofited on every thing beneath it, 
and, of courfe, often on the veffels, 
after they have been put by clean, 
at the times of their being out of 
ufe. This may be obferved to give 
a dull fort of appearance to brafs 
and copper, as if you had breathed 
ae G 
on them; for if you rub your fin-~ 
ger lightly over the veflels, you will 
have both the tafte and f{meil of the 
metal. 
It alfo happens fometimes, that 
after the vefiels are wafhed, they 
are not carefully rinced, nor per- 
feétly dried by the fire ; fo that fome 
of the milk, &c. is left on the, fur- 
face of them; which diffolves the 
metals, either by its animal, oily, or 
ace{cent qualities.., 
This is not the only way, nor-the 
worft, by which the butter may be- 
come impregnated with mifchief. 
The greater. the quantity of cream. 
thrown up from the milk, the largs 
er profits accrue. to the dairy-man; 
therefore he keeps it in the veifels 
as long as he can, and it is frequent, 
ly kept till it is very four, and ca- 
pable of acting upon them: if they, 
are of lead, a calx of fugar of lead is 
produced; if of brafs er. copper, 
verdigris. 4 
It is true, the, quantity cannot be 
very great: this. however will de- 
pend upon the degree of fournefs 
and length of time which the milk 
ftands ; but, independent of the 
acid, the animal oil in the cream 
will diffolve brafs,and copper. 
That an acid floats in the atmo- 
{phere of a dairy, may be proved by 
placing therein a bafon of fyrup of 
violeis for a little time, which will 
be found to turn red. dice 
If then J am right in my conjec- 
tures, as Lihink I am, from the in- 
numerable experiments and obfer- 
vations which I have made to fa- 
tisfy myfelf of the faét, and which 
it would be trifling to relate here, 
may not the reputation of the 
wholefomenefs or unwholefomenefs 
of butter depend upon, or be owing 
to, fome of the above caufes? And 
may not many a cafual, nay obfti- 
nate. 
