No. 4.] REPORT OF DAIRY BUREAU. 393 



wise and prudent plan to undertake a careful and thorough inves- 

 tigation of the effects of formaline upon animal economy. 



But a food preservative like this should be presumed 

 guilty till proved innocent. We should not take chances in 

 dosing the human system ; Avhat prevents bacterial action may 

 impede digestion. Formaline is known to harden caseine ; 

 why, then, is the caseine not rendered less digestible? 



Henry H. Wing, assistant professor of dairy husbandry in 

 Cornell University, in a treatise upon the nature and quali- 

 ties of milk and its products, says : — 



A large number of chemical agents are more or less destructive 

 to germ life. Many of them are so violent in their action as to 

 destroy the milk, as well as the germs ; but there are many which 

 are destructive to germ life, with no effect upon the composition, 

 odor or flavor of the milk. But all of these, without exception, 

 are more or less injurious to the human system, particularly if 

 they are used continuously, even though only in small quantities. 

 Of the compounds which ma}' be used for this purpose, formalin, 

 salicylic and boracic acids and their derivatives are undoubtedly 

 the least injurious, but their use is not to be recommended under 

 any circumstances. 



From "The principles of modern dairy practice from a 

 bacteriological point of view," by Gosta Grotenfelt, edited by 

 F. W. Woll, assistant professor of agricultural chemistry, 

 University of Wisconsin, we quote : — 



The indiscriminate use of preservatives in food articles ought 

 to be prohibited by law ; this is especially urgent in case of such 

 articles as milk and other dairy products, which in a large measure 

 enter into the nutrition of children and convalescents. Most 

 European countries long ago prohibited the addition of salicjiic 

 and boracic acid and other antiseptics in food, e.g., Germany. 

 Holland, France, Austria, Spain, Italy, etc. Mr. Hehner, the 

 president of the Society of Public Analysts of England, in the 

 November, 1890, meeting of the society, read a paper on food 

 preservatives, in which he forcibly sums up the question in the 

 following paragraph : — 



" We should work for the entire prohibition of all kinds of 

 preservatives. It is time that we went back to natural food. I 

 object to being physicked indiscriminately by persons not quali- 

 fied to administer medicine whilst I am in health. I object still 



