No. 4.] REPORT OF DAIRY BUREAU. 391 



With the use of the Babcock milk tester the producer cau 

 keep track of the quality of the milk he is selling, and be 

 absolutely sure of it. It is interesting to note that our en- 

 forcement of the law in Holyoke has led to the purchase of a 

 number of these testers by milk dealers and others, who pro- 

 pose to keep thoroughly informed as to the quality of the 

 milk which they sell. 



Preservatives in Milk. 



During the past year formaldehyde in its commercial 

 solution of formaline has come into use in the State as a 

 preservative of milk. Dr. Henry Leffinan, a member of the 

 Society of Public Analysts of Philadelphia, in the report of 

 the Pennsylvania department of agriculture, says: "For- 

 maldehyde is one of the newest preservatives, and gives 

 promise of being the preferred one. Formaldehyde has a 

 decidedly germicidal action, and, in addition, possesses the 

 power of rendering nitrogeneous matters insoluble and more 

 or less indigestible." The enforcement of the law in years 

 past has been so vigilant as to drive boracic acid, salicylic 

 acid and the older preservatives out of the market, and it 

 has been somewhat rare to find milk adulterated with them ; 

 but the discovery of the germicidal properties of formalde- 

 hyde has led to the pushing of various preservatives having 

 that as a basis. One of these has been advertised consider- 

 ably in Massachusetts as "Freezine." The advertisement 

 of it says : — 



The souring of milk or cream is due to the action of minute 

 organisms known as bacteria. We have been experimenting with 

 these bacteria in our laboratory for years, and have been rewarded 

 by discovering a gas which, when dissolved in a liquid, has the 

 same effect on bacteria that freezing them does, and makes them 

 harmless. This gas has no bad effects on milk or cream, in fact, 

 a chemist could not find any trace of it if the milk were analyzed, 

 because the gas evaporates after it has done its work. . . . The 

 advantages which we claim for "Freezine" are: the manner in 

 which it affects the bacteria and preserves the milk and cream ; 

 and that it cannot be detected when used, as it does not change 

 or affect the appearance, color or taste of milk or cream. " Free- 

 zine " is perfectly harmless, and is not injurious to the human 



