THE SUPERVISION OF THE MILK-TRADE IN TOWNS. 75 



of the proper standards, and if the measures of the seller are correct 

 and properly stamped. In the supervision of places for the sale of 

 milk, only practised and experienced men should be employed. 

 When it has been thoroughly mixed, an average sample of the milk 

 is taken and transferred to the specially-prepared bottle, which is 

 corked and sealed. This should be accompanied, if possible, by 

 exact details furnished by the seller as to the source of the milk. 

 The examination described in paragraph 31 should then be carried 

 out. 



The rough practice of many under-officials, charged with the arbitrary 

 power of directing that all milk which does not come up to the standards 

 of purity should be poured into the sewers, is unworthy of the present 

 time. It is, in short, destroying a food which has only been partly robbed 

 of its nutritive properties. 



Supervision of the milk-trade in towns, which limits itself to 

 the prevention of fraud and gross adulteration, can only be said to 

 be fulfilling half its functions. There are other duties which it 

 ought to perform in the protection of the community, and in the 

 furtherance of general health duties which may be described as 

 even higher and more important. It should see: 



(1) That the milk exposed for sale is not only unadulterated, 

 but that it is of such a quality as is obtained by the perfect milking 

 and thorough admixture of the entire milking of a single cow, or of 

 the milk of several cows. 



If, in the case of large quantities of milk, thorough mixing does not 

 take place before it is separated into the sale cans, it is quite impossible 

 that the percentage of fat in the contents of the single milk-cans should 

 be the same. Milk sold under such conditions favours one customer at 

 the expense of another. 



(2) It is desirable that, for the purposes of cooking and churning, 

 the milk should possess the ordinary (normal) properties of good 

 milk, and should be devoid of abnormal properties. 



Milk with any uncommon properties, such as, for example, colostrum 

 milk, milk showing any of the milk-faults, milk containing coagulated 

 masses or lumps of butter, milk which exhibits unusual behaviour when 

 treated with rennet or when boiled, and milk which shows an unusual 

 bluish-white colour, or a strange smell or taste, should never be allowed to 

 come to the market. 



