548 



NA TURE 



[September 26, 1907 



Unfortunately, however, milk is a product which, 

 naturally, varies much in quality. As a consequence 

 there are difficulties, well linown to those who ad- 

 minister the Sale of Food and Drugs Acts, in the 

 way of preventing the manipulation mentioned. To 

 avoid punishing the innocent some latitude must be 

 allowed to the guilty — and the guilty take full advan- 

 tage of it. It does not follow that less latitude should 

 be given. Careful consideration will show that as 

 regards the official " standards " by which milk is 

 judged, the balance is held as evenly as is practicable 

 between the consumer on the one hand and the pro- 

 ducer on the other. 



At the moment, what seems to be the most pressing 

 question of milk supply is the matter of cleanliness. 

 Whether the milk is genuine or whether it is watered, 

 at least the introduction of filth ought not to be 

 tolerated. Dirty byres, dirty cows, dirty hands ; an 

 atmosphere of dust and micro-organisms ; tuber- 

 culous udders and uncleanly churns ; these may each 

 and all have a part in contaminating the foodstuff 

 which, as Sir James puts it, " enters into the diet of 

 a vast majority of the population, and forms the 

 almost exclusive food of its most susceptible units." 

 There is here a very real need for improvement. Nor 

 does it appear certain that any new legislation is 

 necessary. The Public Health Act and the Dairy, 

 Cowsheds, and Milkshops Order would perhaps 

 suffice as regards the machinery ; but there is often 

 local reluctance to put the machinery in motion. 



In the matter of butter, to which Sir James devoted 

 a part of his address, the hands of the authorities 

 will be materially strengthened by the new Butter and 

 Margarine Act. It w-as quite time. The chief mal- 

 practices to which this article of food is subjected 

 were described some months ago in the columns of 

 this journal (Nature, vol. Ixxiii., p. 466). One or two 

 examples from the report of the principal chemist of 

 the Government Laboratory may be cited to illustrate 

 the recent history of the matter. During last year a 

 creamery in this country was visited under the 

 authority of a search-warrant, and the process of adul- 

 terating butter with lard was found in full swing on 

 the premises. Other such places are known to use 

 condensed milk for incorporation with butter. Again, 

 an unscrupulous individual was found offering for sale 

 a process for the " scientific " manipulation of butter 

 by blending it with beef-fat or lard ; and eventually 

 he was indicted for inciting to commit a misdemean- 

 our. He was sent for trial, but the Old Bailey never 

 saw him ; the authorities had to be content with 

 estreating his bail for 800L 



As remedial measures Sir James Crichton Browne 

 mentions provisions that were either previously 

 existent or have been included in the Butter and 

 Margarine Act of last session. The importer is held 

 responsible for the genuineness of the butter he im- 

 ports, and must find his remedy against the foreign 

 producer. All butter factories must be registered, and 

 be subject to inspection. .Any oils or fats found that 

 are capable of being used in the adulteration of butter 

 are to be considered as intended to be so used unless 

 the contrary is proved, and their presence constitutes 

 an offence under the Act. Though not all that could 

 be wished, the measure will be a valuable one in many 

 respects, and should do much to check fraudulent 

 manipulation of butter. 



But a much more drastic and far-reaching enact- 

 ment is just now coming into force in the United 

 States, and the working of one of its provisions in 

 particular will be watched with much interest in this 

 country. Its effect is to ensure that articles of food 

 and drugs shall be labelled so as to show the pur- 

 chaser, within limits, exactly what the articles are. 

 The description must not " be false or misleading in 

 NO. T978, VOL. 76] 



any particular," whether as to composition, quality, 

 origin, or what not. Thus an article must be stated 

 on the label to be " prepared with glucose," " coloured 

 with sulphate of copper," "dyed with aniline dye," 

 or to be " composed of fragments and scraps from a 

 mushroom cannery," and so on, as the case may be. 

 Moreover, in the case of certain drugs — morphia, 

 cocaine, chloral, chloroform, and others — the propor- 

 tions must always be stated on the label. If the pre- 

 paration is found not to agree with the description 

 it is deemed to be " misbranded," and offends against 

 the Act. It is too early yet to say exactly what the 

 effect of this compulsory candour will be, but 

 obviously it affords a powerful means of enforcing 

 commercial honesty. This, however, is not all that is 

 being done. So long as a substance is left undefined, so 

 long is it possible for a " trade custom " to be alleged 

 in defence of malpractices. Witness, for instance, the 

 discussions upon " what is whisky? " and " what is 

 brandy? " which have recently arisen in this country. 

 Hence the new American law is being supplemented 

 by a series of schedules defining the various food pro- 

 ducts and fixing certain " standards " in respect of 

 them. The appointment of a committee to draw up 

 similar regulations for the United Kingdom has been 

 urged, but at present little more has been done in the 

 matter. 



Another point of much importance touched upon by 

 Sir J. Crichton Browne is the open or veiled 

 antagonism of some local authorities to anything like 

 reforming zeal on the part of their medical officers, 

 analysts, and inspectors. The personal interests of 

 influential councillors may clash with the public wel- 

 fare, and an official may find his tenure but short if 

 he becomes too zealous. How, it is asked, can a 

 public official act impartially if the fearless perform- 

 ance of his duty brings him into the position of 

 having to prosecute his employers? 



" Vice," says Sir James, " is mind in the wrong 

 place." Perhaps our present system of local govern- 

 ment often puts men in the wrong place. 



C. SiMMONDS. 



SCIENTIFIC WORK IN INDIA. 



THE Asiatic Society of Bengal continues to make 

 satisfactory progress, its membership having 

 increased from 343 in 1904 to 407 in igo6. In his 

 annual address for the latter year the president, 

 Sir A. Frazer, Lieutenant Governor of the Province, 

 expressed his disappointment that so few civilians 

 and members of other services have joined the 

 society. He suggested that the society did not make 

 itself sufficiently known ; that the increasing use of 

 English in Bengal discourages the use of the ver- 

 nacular tongues ; but he chiefly attributes the lack 

 of official interest in the work to what he calls 

 "the prevalence of mere officialism." He therefore 

 proposes to appoint a joint committee of savants and 

 officials to investigate the question, and to endeavour 

 to bring about more satisfactory relations between the 

 society and the services. 



It is well that the attention of the authorities has 

 been directed to this important subject. Such a 

 committee is, however, hardly likely to throw much 

 new light on the matter. The causes enumerated 

 by the president have no doubt tended to increase 

 the prevailing indifference felt by Indian officials to 

 scientific inquiry and the study of the people, their 

 languages, superstitions, and beliefs. But, in spite 

 of the cheerful optimism of the Lieutenant Governor, 

 the causes of this failure lie nearer home than he 

 would be disposed to admit. All services naturally 

 take their tone from their leaders, and, as a matter 

 of fact, the Indian Government has always regarded 



