Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-11-03
/" shells y in the Cream.

fnteen years ago, Nhen engaged IN writ
ing little volume upon the adulteration of
food, afterwards published in Boston, by o.
H. 7. Durham, under the title of " What
we eat we spent several months in the
physical, microscopic and chemical exami-
nation of milk visiting during the time a
large number of milk farms in the vicinity
of Boston, and procuring for our experiments
many samples of milk
During this course Of study we became
convinced that the statement, found in most
of the treatises upon the subject, to the ef-
feet that the globules Of cream contained in
the milk have an albumnous envelope, or
are contained within coherent membrane
composed of caseine, has no foundation in
fact Both chemically, mechanically and
mcroscopically we satisfied oursef that the
fat globules of cream swim free in the albu-
minous fluid, which constitutes the "skim
milk" after the cream has been separated.
But though we satisfied ourself of this
fact we confess that we did not have the
moral courage or the selfconfdence 10 pro-
claim it : especially as that particular point
was not one of practical importance in con
nection with the subject of food adulteration.
Even il we had given our views on the sub
jet, we are aware that they would have had
little weight, opposed as they were, to the
testimony of so many other observers some
of them men of worldwide fame in physio-
logical science.
nt4 -, 1.1 Ia 4.
and practical connection with the dairy in
terest as an agricultural editor, we have not
hesitatcd in discussing the subject to give
our opinion. Two years ago, when the
Dairymen's Association was in session at
Essex Junction, and Mr. Arnold was empha-
sizing this membrane theory, making it the
basis of his philosophy Of churning, we, in
conversing with Mr.. Douglas after MIR. Ar
nold's address, expressed our utter dissent
from these views and our conviction, founded
on experiment, that cream globules, far from
being enclosed in an envelope resembling
nutshell" were entirely free from any COW
ering whatever Mr.. Douglas, in some sub
sequent remarks, showed.that he shared our
~ gu" "V J0''Vu A"ii"iy oNo' tne "ur
shell theory, as being at variance with
facts of daily observation in the practice of
butter making.
Scientific men are apt to be very dog
matte with laymen in regard to all their dis
coyeries, or supposed discoveries and al
though none are better aware than they how
often further study reveals the errors, over
slShu ana mistakes oil previous observations,
they show little mercy toward those who
from the practical point of viev dare fo crit
io;so n,o;s 1o,,...ti. W -.
'o cue" "''"''"'ionS' iet 'line brings
all Things even, and just as the old farmers
notions about the barbeny plant causing
wheat to rust, or about the moons Influence
mon ,lo ,,,o,l,o. L.. -, -,
~ ''''' i''',u '"tf'''
iio'h so''N'i"c Investigations so thls heiD-
brane theory has had to give way, under the
test of experiment and more careful studv.
A very tbororcb article ,,,,o,, tbis s,,h;o,,
A..
nus tsoen''y appeared III t'le journal OF APP
piied Chemistry from the pen of s. Z. Sharp
less, in which he unsets the membrane the
orv copnlotelv be bor;r,, roooraoa o,o,,l,.
~
.le oouise VI experimentation 10y baum
H'uo', .h'ough which we arrived NJ the same
ounciusioh n'teeh years ago MI ohafpless
says
ne SUBJECT oil the state III which butter
s .Nists ~ i'iiih mas lohg oeen one OF great
interest 70 chemists ana physiologists' Two
''e"s nav pee'l au.ahccu upon this sunlsct
ohe lillt !. eAls's IN ,ne FORM OF free gleb-
uies' ioi,iiiis an emulsion WIN the saccha-
I.ne anu Gaseous matter OF the mix the
othef' uhat u Is IN the form OF true cells,
t"cn s'opuie oeihS surrounded by thln
membrane OF heterogeneous matter ms lat
'Vi view y the one sustained ny NJ dumas,
VINO reneS upon the following experiments
sustain MS iueaS
II e,hcI ana mix are shaken together and
lneh "lo"eu 70 Stai'd AT rest inc ether Heats
upon uie su,iace "ithout having dlssolved
"hyt''ls' anu the ihiik remains below with
out having IoSt anything oil ITS appearance,
OF yleided anything OF It's buttery matter
but Wneh submitted beforehand to the action
OF aee'o acid, winch is able to dissolve the
ehNeioles OIL iIs latty glooules mllk, when
silahen WIN ether' loses It's opacity and
yleluS l's butter 10 that llqud IN which 1t
may DC louhu'
An inverse test leads TO the same conolu-
sious the ad1itlon OF neutral salt, such
as suiphate oil soda, to milk, enables us to
uies vi outter' WINE 'he serum hows on per
lectIy h'1pia ana clear: III the washing he
continued WIN tne Same water, these glob-
nles may pe ifeed rom ali the soluble pro
ducts oil the serum. But whatever care be
taken WIN the washing, there viii remain
Win ,he latty matter such a proportion OF,
nluu'nehi1ed substance that we cannot doubt
wa, IL mas renamed there IN the form Of
tl,ose envelopes OF cells which constitute the
gioouies Oh butter
~, pausol says IN aadltlon 70 the lncon-
'es',o'e reasons given py NJ Dumas, OF the
eAiste,'ce Oh hitrogenons envelope, there
'Ie o.neis more uiIee'' II we treat the but
.eI glooules' WINE under the microscope,
WIN ace'lc aclu' ana watch the progressive
so'u'io'' VI 'he envelopes we VIII sec the
$3.50 u .ne s,oouies escaping ana uniting
~ ioini iI's.r uiops thaii tle original glob-
- " "'''on 'i,v u'"ii'e'cr ~ from iour 10
iA'ee'i.snou.anulns Oh millimeter, Aud,
asai, II we spIe9u avery ,hih nun OF cream
ulJ h,.t s'ss sil'ie ana allow u 70 dry, the
s'oou'es appear oi their normal SIZE and APP
peala" .I ~ we treat ,hem IN TINS state by
.net u'ssoNe' anu tne eorpuseie retains
us orisihai ioriIi' put IS empty instead OF
peils nileu win butter
IN ofaer 10 explain the action OF ehuning,
the advocates OF the above theory have held
TWO inherent opinions the oldest WINS that