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THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[December 21, 1872_ 
iu tlie law-officers’ opinion, viz., that the eligibility of 
any person for the office of analyst was to be de¬ 
termined as a question of fact, and that the posses¬ 
sion of competent medical as well as chemical and 
microscopical knowledge was to be determined as a 
matter of fact without reference to any Registers 
of medical practitioners, pharmaceutical chemists, 
chemists and druggists, or the roll of membership of 
any body of microscopists. 
THE TESTING OF MILK. 
The question as to the most efficient and conve¬ 
nient method for testing the quality of milk is one 
that just now is of considerable interest, in conse¬ 
quence of the first operations of the public analyst 
appointed under the Adulteration Act having re¬ 
sulted in several prosecutions against vendors of 
that article ; another result, by the way, being that 
the old proverb “ tam similem quarn lacte lacti est ” 
has been completely upset. It has come under our 
notice that, notwithstanding the defects of the lac¬ 
tometer are now x^retty generally recognized, there is 
an inclination in some quarters to use it for this pur- 
X>ose. We, therefore, take the opportunity of x>ointing 
out that the instrument in question represents ex¬ 
ceptionally rich milk and watered milk as of the 
same quality; and further, that it enables a skilful 
dealer to pass off milk which has been partially 
skimmed as if it were unsophisticated. This feat is 
accomplished by adding to the partially skimmed 
milk a little water, whereby an article is x>roduced 
which is of the same sxoecific gravity as fresh milk, 
and wliich, at the same time, yields the normal pro- 
portion of cream. In fact, neither the lactometer 
(lactodensimeter, as it is sometimes termed), nor the 
combined use of that instrument and the creamo- 
meter is to be dex>ended upon. The testing of milk 
has, however, been recently put on a more scientific 
basis, and we have great pleasure in directing atten¬ 
tion to an article on the subject by Mr. Charles 
Ekin, which appears in another part of this Journal. 
A valuable suggestion has also been made by Mr. 
J. F. Brown, of Dover, who titrates the milk-sugar 
with standard solution of cox>per. All authorities 
agree in representing the proportion of lactose in 
milk as being very constant. We should, therefore, 
expect good results by this method. 
THIRST FOR KNOWLEDGE. 
Under the above title a corresx)ondent has for¬ 
warded to us the following paragraph, taken from a 
circular issued by the Council of the Liverpool Che¬ 
mists’ Association:— 
“ The chemistry class has not been carried on 
“ owing to a sufficient number not having joined. 
“ If six members will join on Thursday, the 10th 
“ inst., at 7 p.m., the class will be commenced.” 
At the time of going to press we have not been in¬ 
formed whether this modest desideratum has been' 
satisfied, but we hope for'the best, that there may be 
no precedent for the obliteration of Liverpool as a 
centre of pharmaceutical education. 
In the meantime it may be remarked that the 
above quotation has a special interest in its bearing 
upon the opinions that have been lately expressed 
respecting the demand for x>liarmaceutical education, 
and we fear it is also generally characteristic of the 
actual case, together with the financial x>rospects of 
any attempts to supplement that supply. 
THE NEW ADULTERATION ACT. 
At the meeting of the City Commission of Sewers, 
on Tuesday last, the Court proceeded with, but 
did not comx>lete, the consideration of the rex>orts of 
the Sanitary Committee, as to the x )re P ara fi° ns 
for carrying out the Adulteration of Food Act of 
last session. With the consent of Dr. Letheby, 
who has been appointed analyst, it was decided not 
to fix at present any salary or scale of remuneration 
for the x>erformance of the duties of that office until 
there has been better opportunity of estimating their 
extent. The three insx>eotors of streets are appointed 
inspectors under the Act, with an addition of £25 
per annum each to their former salary. The follow¬ 
ing summary of the arrangements with respect to 
the appointment of x>ublic analysts in the metropolis- 
is taken from the Times of Wednesday:— 
“In St. George’s, Hanover Square, and Chelsea, it has. 
been resolved to include the office of analyst in the 
duties of officer of health. In St. Saviour’s it was volun¬ 
tarily undertaken by the medical officer of health. In 
Poplar the appointment was offered to the medical officer 
of health and accepted by him, payment being made for 
each analysis on a scale. Dr. Bernays, Professor of 
Chemistry at St. Thomas’s Hospital, has been appointed 
analyst for Camberwell, and he is to be paid by fees the ■ 
first year; and in Marylebone Dr. Whitmore, the medical 
officer of health, has been appointed, his salary having 
been some time since increased, to include a laboratory 
assistant. In St. James’s, Clerkenwell, a salary of £100 
has been decided upon; and in St. Luke’s, Dr. Pavy,. 
medical officer of health, has been appointed, at a salary 
of £150. In St. Martin’s-in-the-Fields, Hampstead, Hoi- 
born, Mile End Old Town, St. Pancras, Bermondsey, and 
Woolwich, the subject is still under consideration. In. 
Limehouse, Dr. Rogers, medical officer of health, has ■ 
been appointed; and in St. George’s-in-the-East, Dr. 
Rygate, medical officer; and a similar course has been 
adopted in Bethnal Green. In Whitechapel, Dr. Liddle, 
officer of health, has refused to accept the appointment 
on the ground that the medical officers of health, as a 
body, are not properly qualified to undertake the duties 
indicated by the general intentions of the Act. In 
Lambeth and in St. George’s, Southwark, a chemist,. 
Dr. Muter, has been appointed, with the fees only as his 
remuneration. In Hackney, Dr. Tripe, the medical 
officer, has declared himself to be not qualified within 
the meaning of the Act, and the local authorities appear 
to be disposed to allow the Local Governing Board to ■ 
exercise the power which they have of themselves no¬ 
minating an analyst.” 
In consequence of the occurrence of Christmas ■ 
day in the forthcoming week, the next number of' 
the Journal will be published on Saturday instead 
of Friday. 
