August 6, 1870.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
117 
on the scale represents pure milk, or the gravity 1-029, 
while 0 represents pure water, or gravity 1 000, the 
space hetw r een being divided into 100 parts. The num¬ 
bers on the scale represent, therefore, the percentages of 
pure milk. 
Skimmed milk, having been deprived of most of its 
butter, is heavier than whole milk. By skimming the 
milk before testing it with the galactometer, the error 
caused by the butter is eliminated. In this case, how¬ 
ever, the mark for 100, or pure milk, must be placed 
lower down on the instrument, as pure milk, having a 
specific gravity of 1-029, would, after being skimmed, 
have a gravity of about 1-0133. The 100° mark for 
skimmed milk is, therefore, fixed at this point. 
The lactometer is a simple tube closed at the lower 
end, and graduated in hundredths. It is designed to 
measure the quantity of cream which rises on the milk. 
By using the two instruments together, the galacto¬ 
meter and the lactometer, very satisfactory conclusions 
with regard to the quality of milk, can be formed. A 
perfectly reliable method, though more laborious, is to 
actually determine the percentage of water in the milk, 
by evaporating a -weighed quantity, and carefully drying 
the residue at 212° F. If a milk loses more than 88 per 
cent, of water, having less than 12 per cent, of solids, it 
may be safely pronounced to be adulterated with water. 
2. Chalk .—This substance is generally supposed to be 
extensively used to neutralize tlie acidity in soured milk, 
and to produce thickness and opacity, thus concealing 
dilution with water. It is easily detected, as it is de¬ 
posited on standing, and can then be recognized by its 
effervescing -with dilute acids. I have never detected it 
in any sample of milk examined. Its presence would 
also be shown in a milk analysis, by the unusual amount 
of ash. 
3. Flour, starch, emulsions of almonds, or hemp-seed, etc., 
are said to be used to thicken milk, and neutralize the 
blue colour caused by dilution. They were not found in 
any of our samples. 
4. Sugar, gum , dextrin, and borax, to increase specific 
gravity. 
5. Turmeric and annatto, to hide the blue colour. 
6. Cerebral matter, sheep's brains, to thicken watered 
milk, easily detected by the microscope, and by its de¬ 
positing a peculiar white sediment on standing. 
7. Carbonate or bicarbonate of soda, to neutralize acidity. 
Detected by the increase in the quantity of ash, or, 
better, by the effervescence of the ash with acids. 
297 specimens of the milk supplied to consumers in 
the Metropolitan district have been submitted to chemi¬ 
cal examination. Of these 45 were seized while under¬ 
going the process of dilution with water, 245 were 
purchased from the retail dealers, and 7 were procured 
at one of the crow-ded cow-stables in Brooklyn. 
First Series of Analyses .-—In the latter part of Febru¬ 
ary, some milkmen were detected in the act of pouring 
a suspicious fluid, contained in milk-cans, into their 
milk. They were at once arrested, and taken, with their 
cans, about 50 in number, to police headquarters. Sam¬ 
ples from 45 of the cans, which were placed in my hands 
for examination, gave the following results :— 
2 cans contained water, not any too pure. 
2 cans contained water, clouded with a little milk, 
probably from having been pumped into cans which had 
contained milk. 
4 cans contained water, to which considerable milk 
had been added, the specific gravity varying from 1-010 
to 1-017, representing by the galactometer from 37 to 60 
per cent, of milk. 
19 cans contained milk, to which considerable w-ater 
had been added, the specific gravity varying from 1-023 
to 1-028, representing from 80 to 97 per cent, of milk. 
18 cans contained pure milk, varying in specific gra¬ 
vity from 1-029 to 1-030. 
None of the samples contained any adulterant save 
water. The large proportion of pure milk is accounted 
for by the fact, that the work of dilution was interrupted 
by the police. 
Second Series of Analyses. —During the months of June 
and July a systematic examination of milk was organ¬ 
ized, the samples being purchased from retail dealers in 
various portions of the Metropolitan District. 210 
samples were analysed, with the following general re¬ 
sults :— 
1. The specific gravity varies from L010 to 1'032, 
averaging L0208. 
2. The percentage of pure milk, as shown by the ga¬ 
lactometer, ranges from 37 to 110, averaging 72£. 
3. The percentage of water varies from 83-57 to 94-17, 
averaging 89-89. 
4. The percentag-e of solid constituents, the nutritive 
portion of the milk, varies from 5-83 to 16-43 per cent., 
averaging 10-11. 
5. No adulteration was found in a single instance,, 
save water. 
Third Series of Analyses. —During the last four months- 
of the year, a series of more elaborate analyses was 
undertaken, with a view to determine the percentages of 
some of the individual constituents of the milk. 35 
samples were examined, and the results, wffiich are here¬ 
with presented in tabular form, establish the fact that— 
1. The cream averaged 7'89 per cent., ranging from 
5-20 to 11-80 per cent. 
2. The percentage of pure milk, as shown by the 
galactometer, averaged 82-44, varying from 50 to 112. 
3. The butter averaged 3-03 per cent., varying from 
1-81 to 3-76. 
4. The casein and milk-sugar together averaged 6 - 46- 
per cent., ranging from 4-16 to 9-02. 
5. The saline and earthy constituents averaged 0-59 
per cent., varying from 0 39 to 0-87 per cent. 
6. The total solids averaged 10-08 per cent., ranging, 
from 6-73 to 12 - 32 per cent. 
7. The water averaged 89-92 per cent., ranging from 
87’68to 93-27 per cent. 
8. No adulteration was found in any case, save water. 
Fourth Series of Analyses. — During the month of 
April, the attention of the Board having been called to 
the crow-ded condition of some of the large cow-stables 
in the Metropolitan District, the Sanitary Superinten¬ 
dent, Dr. Harris, was directed to make an investigation.. 
It was found, on examination, that, although the stables 
were over-crowded, dark, and damp, and deficient in 
ventilation, the animals generally presented a good ap¬ 
pearance. 
The milk of these cow-s v-as specially deficient in 
butter, and in every respect poorer than the milk of 
healthy cows. No other indications of disease could be 
detected in the milk. 
Fatal Accident with Petroleum Spirit. —Shortly 
after 10 o’clock on Thursday night, Mr. David Taylor, 
a chemist and druggist at Bradford, was engaged, in 
emptying a thirty-six gallon cask of benzoline into- 
smallcr vessels, w-hen a cat, which had been jumping 
about, knocked over the candle by the light of which he 
performed the operation. Alarmed and confused by the 
circumstance, Mr. Taylor dropped from his hand a half- 
gallon measure filled with benzoline, v-hich, becoming- 
ignited, instantly set fire to the house. A w-ooden stair¬ 
case, beneath which the fire arose, was immediately in a 
blaze, as were also soon after the rooms above. Efforts, 
at suppression w-ere made by the inmates, but in vain. 
Two local fire brigades w r ent to the spot, and extinguished 
the fire in about an hour. Soon after they arrived, a 
police officer, with difficulty and at great peril, rescued 
from bed in an upper room a child of one year and nine 
months, but it w-as found to be dead, either from suffoca¬ 
tion or burning. Mr. Taylor estimates his pecuniary 
loss at £1200 or £1400 .—Fall Mall Gazette . 
