DAIRY PRODUCTS. 



125 



soiue extent in this country, but most of it is exported. It is claimed that nearly the 

 same prices are obtained for the cheese as for full cream cheeso, and that it is a good 

 and wholesome article of food, containing nothing but what is found in other food. 

 On the other hand, it is assorted that the excessive quantity of alkali supposed to be 

 in the choose makes it unwholesome, and that, like the lard cheese, it is a fraud on the 

 public unless sold under a distinctive name ; bringing nearly the prices of a full cream 

 cheese, it is taken by consumers to be such. As to the first point there is no evi- 

 eucepro or cow, and the presumption is, as above stated, that there is no excessive 

 uautity of alkali in the cheese. As to the latter point, it can be left to the interpreta- 

 ion of the law. Without question, a valuable constituent of the cheese has been 

 moved and nothing of the same character has been substituted for it. 

 Water and fat determined were in small samples, each one of skim cheese made 

 without auti-humug extract, and with it. Both samples wore taken with an ordinary 

 cheese-tryer by Mr. Freeman, the patentee of the process, and sent through Mr. Mun- 

 sell to mo. The results of this partial analysis are given below : 



There is nothing unusual in the composition of these samples as compared with 



dm cheese in general. 



Poisonous cheese. A sample of cheese, said to have produced sickness on the part of 

 those who ate it, was sent to mo by the Secretary of the Board, who received it from 

 Inspector Smith. Cases of so-called " poisonous cheese " occasionally appear in differ- 

 ent parts of this country and in other countries. Husemanu, 1 quoted by Fleischmann, 2 

 mentions a number of instances from all parts of Germany, and also in England and 

 Russia, resulting from eating old and especially sour milk and soft rennet cheeses. 

 Scarcely ever is the result fatal, and recovery is rapid, because the vomiting, which 

 is among the first symptoms, relieves the system of the dangerous matter. Voelcker 3 

 after noticing cases of sickness produced by cheese containing copper or zinc sulphate 

 that had been added often surreptitiously by the dairymaid to prevent " heaving " of 

 the cheese, gives an account of a case where all the cheese of a certain "make" sold 

 in different places produced sickness. The cheeso presented nothing abnormal in ap- 

 pearance, but his assistants, on eating less than a quarter of an ounce of it, were taken 

 with violent vomiting and pain in the bowels, and a disagreeable mercurial after-taste 

 was left in the mouth. No metallic poisons could be found in it, however, nor any- 

 thing else abnormal except an apparently larger quantity than usual of fatty acids, 

 giving a strong acid reaction to the cheese. Ho suggests* that the poison is identical 

 with the so-called sausage poison of German sausages made largely from coagulated 

 blood, aud says that a similar poison appears to bo generated sometimes in pickled 

 salmon, smoked sprats, pork or tainted meat, aud that rancid butter may act as a 

 poison. It disappears from the cheese when quite decayed. I have on previous oc- 

 casions examined such cheese both chemically and with the microscope, without find- 

 ing any cause for the physiological effect produced by it, or anything unusual. In 

 one case the cheese was excellent in quality otherwise, but it nevertheless, when eaten 

 to test the truth of the allegation against it, made me quite ill with the usual symp- 

 toms for a short time. In the present instance some of the cheeso was offered to some 

 kittens which are kept in stock for the use of the anatomical department of the 

 University. At first only one would eat it and that one appeared to be quite sick the 



1 Handb. d. Toxicologie, 1862. 



2 Zoo. cit. 



3 Jourii. Roy. Agric. Soc., vol. 23, p. 340. 



