The New York herald., 1876-12-31
THE MILK QUESTION.

To EDITOR OF THE HrRALp:-
desire to improve, II possible, the quality OF ipiiX
now supplied TO the city OF New York, aud to estab-
lish accurate ans irustworih nv method than the
lactomcter in detecting adultcration induced me to
volunteer to testify in the schrumpf milk case on
Wednesday last Judge Suthcrsnd's rulings debarrcd
me IRON giving any material evidence further than
that I bad found pure commercial milk OF n specific
gravity lower than l. o2o that being the minimum
standard adopted by the Board OF Health OF this city,
Partial ana mscons,rucd quotations from my Official
reports lead to ask the publication of tho follow
ing facts believing them 10 be OF interest 10 the pub
lie Atcr many years experience AS State Assaycr
and City Chemist In Providence. X. l., during SIX
years OF which time have made the subject OF mix
and the methods OF recognizing Its adulieratiops Tor
legal purposes specially have discarded ihe asc OF
the lactomctcr means OF detecting watcred milk
Tor the following rcasuns:-
First may be topped" or partially skinned,
thereby increasing its spcclc gravity and permitting
tho additn OF water sufficient 10 reduce IL TO It's
original density
Second-Milk may be FIRST "topped" or partially
SKINNED and then diluted with aqueous solution
and coorel the desired shade with caramel thereby
giving II a crcam- kc appearance. by this methol
mix may be aduleratcd one hall and SIN escape de-
lection by the Iactometer ana the senses.
7htrdrhe usc oil the lactometer paccs In tho hands
Of the dsirymcn and milk dealers means by which
they sci sdutcra,cd miik and stili comply with
the standard adoplca by the Board of Health
fSw.h--A pure milk may DO condemned simply be-
cause II ~ rich In cream.
fifth-Bceausc partially skinned mix may sold
whole milk without tear nf detection.
Srfh-Bccause. IN my opinion. u does not justify
officer making accusation OF fraud wncn moro
accurate means arc at command
Ssrcnfa--Iicca the courts have decided in many
o. the Eastern towns and cies, Boston, Cambridge.
Providence &c, that sworn chcmicai analy prov.
ing aduiicratiou is required Tor conviction. Whore
ciiizens reputation s Ht stake he is justified in clai
ing u chemical analysis OF tho suspected milk, as
have frequently found an apparently adueraicd sam
pie proved by analysis TO be pure have also found,
tom years OF practical experience, that when tho mix
traffic s controlled bv complete chemical analysts
aduitcraion has diminished ana the required number
OF analyses necessarily decreased Analysis Will not
only detect watercd mlk Quo solo claim made favor
OF the acomcer but ut tue same time all other forms
OF sduteration.
lhe timo ana expense required In pursuing this
method trivial when compared with the benefits
tue individual citizen. | have made 900 c.m.
peic analyses Of milk and partial analyses
With proper facilities cxpcris make fifteen 10
twenty arayscs OF milk day. In the proscenton OF
my Official duties as Inspector OF MIX have fouud IL
OF the utmost importance TO have the mix examined
a, the depots tor the projection OF the retail Dealers
who nigat otherwise be Obliged 10 acccp an sdulier
stcd artclc Establishing the use Of the iactome,er
a means OF detecting aduiteration VIII prove an IN
ccLtivc TO more serious and objectionable forms OF
sophislications than now practical Contrary TO
popular belief the opponents. TO tho lactomccr
the most bitter foes to milk frauds and tho most faith.
fui guardians OF the public welfare. Respectfully,
NEW YORK. Dec 30. 1870 AZ. W. VAUGHAN.