Scientific Intelligence.—Chemstry. 379 
- Much of the milk sold by certain milk men at the corners of 
streets, has none of the properties common with milk, except the 
whiteness. 
The quantity of the milk which proceeds from the same cow, is 
very different at different times; and that of different cows varies al- 
so in quality. 
Some of the more wealthy inhabitants who obtain their milk di- 
rectly from the dairies, at a good price, have it pure 3—but the mass 
of milk sold in Paris is always more or less altered. 
The most common adulteration is that of water. But as this can 
be detected by the taste and color, brown sugar is added to restore 
the sweetness, and wheat or some other kind of flour, the whiteness 
and consistency. 
Hence the areometre which merely determines the specific grav- 
ity of the fluid, is of no use in detecting these impurities ;—and be- 
sides, milk which is rich in butyraceous matters is much lighter than 
that which is less rich in butter, but more rich in caseous ingredients. 
..'To prevent the flour which is used in thickening the skimmed and 
watered milk, from settling to the bottom, it is previously mixed with 
water and boiled, which renders it when cold, soluble in the milk. 
_ Thus flour is easily detected by the tincture of iodine, which gives 
ita wine or violet color. ; ee CS 
_ More especially, if this floured milk be heated with a little sulphuric 
acid, the coagulum separated by a filter, the serum acquires a fine 
blue color by the tincture of iodine. a rai ate 
Thus detected, the milk sellers sought for some substance which 
would not produce the blue color with iodine, in which they doubtless 
obtained the aid of some chemists. ‘They resorted to an emulsion of 
sweet almonds; with which, for the cost of about one franc, they can 
give a milk white to thirty pints of water, and communicate no un- 
pleasant taste, ' : shea is 
Some of these. pretended, milk dealers, less scrupulous, employ 
hemp-seed in lieu of almonds, because of its greater cheapness, They 
thus dilute the milk of cows to almost any extent they please, with- 
out altering its color or opacity, and correct its taste by a little coarse 
sugar. 
This factitious milk may be detected, however, by the oily nature of 
its curd. “When the latter is pressed between the fingers, or on pa- 
per, the oil exudes from it, which is not the case with the curd of 
pure milk. 
