Town Milk. 
71 
analyses, published in past volumes of this Journal as well as 
elsewhere, are thus directly serviceable ; teaching us with definite- 
ness and in detail a lesson which, however, experience has already 
taught many of us more generally, that milk, whether good or 
not, when coming out of London cow-houses, is very often im- 
poverished and adulterated when served over London counters. 
The 'British Medical Journal' of November 23rd, 1867, 
called attention to a more recent series of analyses by Dr. 
Voelcker which very strikingly illustrate this fact; and a short 
reference to his results will suffice to prove the first point to 
which I am directing attention, viz., that Town milk is very 
often most outrageously and mischievously robbed and mal- 
treated before it reaches the consumer. Ten samples were sub- 
mitted to examination — taken from shops in Blackfriars, the 
Strand, St. Giles's, and some of the western districts north and 
south of Hyde Park. Of these only one was just as the cow 
had yielded it. It contained 86'16 per cent, of water, — rather 
less than the ordinary natural proportion : and 12 per cent, by 
measure were cream. The other samples contained from 90 to 
91 per cent, of water ; and from 9^ to only 3 per cent, were cream. 
The price in every case but two was Ad. per quart ; in those two 
it was 5(/. ; and there the quantity of cream was only 4 and 6 per 
cent, respectively ! How great the temptation to dishonesty, and 
how great its facility, are both apparent from these analyses. A 
large business in " a first-class establishment " is prospering 
which sells as new what is "no better than skim-milk." The 
reports regarding the other cases are as follow : — " much coloured 
artificially, one-fourth of cream removed, and one-sixth of water 
added ;" — "one-fourth of cream removed, and one-third of water 
added ; " — " skim-milk, with one-third Avater ! " — " one- third 
cream removed, and one-fifth water added." If Ad. per imperial 
quart be the price at which milk can fairly be sold retail, then in 
one of these instances, where it was sold at bd. after one-third of 
the cream was removed and one-fifth v-ater added, no less than 
20/. per annum profit, beyond that of the fair retailer, is made 
for every gallon sold per diem : and if 100 gallons be sold daily, 
there is the enormous premium of 2000^. per annum realised by 
this dishonesty. 
This then is the first point for consideration in any discussion 
of town milk — the great temptation which is offered in the trade 
to dishonesty, to which dealers very often yield with lamentable 
consequences to their customers, especially when the milk is 
bought for the nourishment of young children. But the ' Agri- 
cultural Journal' is hardly the place for a detailed examination 
of this part of the subject, and I will conclude by quoting the 
