TESTIMONY OF EGBERT OGDEN DOBEMUS. 187 



for that ; I mention this point because if we are to depend upon the 

 fraction of an inch to decide whether a man is guilty of a crime or 

 not we ought to have the instrument exact ; still I desire to brush 

 away the lactometer ; the Legislature will have to do that. 



By the COURT Q. That is, you mean to brush it away for this 

 purpose ? A. For this use ; I think your Honor will be convinced 

 after you hear my story. 



By Mr. LAWRENCE Q. Will you explain the reason why the 

 lactometer should be graduated with larger increasing spaces, with 

 spaces becoming larger the further you proceed from the body of 

 the instrument instead of regularly ? A. To put it in very plain 

 language it could be put scientifically; the deeper it sinks in a fluid 

 the more liquid it displaces, and as a consequence we need wider 

 marks upon it to indicate equal variations ; that is if I were to take 

 the exact gravity with the thousand-grain bottle at different temper- 

 atures and then place this instrument in it, the lactometer, I would 

 need wider spaces above than below. 



By the COURT Q, Would it not be correct to say that the hydro- 

 meter or the lactometer does displace when inserted in a fluid a 

 quantity which in weight precisely balances the weight of the hydro- 

 meter or lactometer; is not that correct? A. That is correct, but if 

 you get an instrument costing a dollar, I defy any man ordinarily to 

 expect that you will have accurate gradations any more than you 

 will find thermometers hanging on the wall costing fifty cents to 

 agree. 



Q. Can you give me a rough estimate, supposing A. B. has 

 twenty-five quarts of pure milk as it comes from the cow in a milk 

 can, and he adds to it five quarts of pure Croton water, can you give 

 me a rough estimate in what proportion would be about the probable 

 gravity ; how much would the gravity be diminished by adding that 

 quantity of water to that pure milk ? A. I could not nor could any 

 chemist ; you perceive, your Honor, that in consequence of the fact 

 that I have already sworn to that some milk is very low in gravity, 

 because of its richness in cream, it is impossible to tell. 



Q. Would not the addition of that quantity of water to the 

 quantity of pure milk diminish its gravity to an extent which could 

 be determined with considerable safety and accuracy by the lacto- 

 meter and with the aid of the senses ? A. I think not. 



