Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1896-04-23
Prescrvalincs.
A gentleman who has given the matter
alienation, v,--;tas "a fellows:

a gentleman mo UhS given AAO
considerable attention writes as follows:
The difficulty in keeping milk during
warm weather has led to the use of.varlous
preparations intended to retsrd the opera
ton of souring, which, after all, is but the
first step towards decomposition, and
which is rapidly followed by other changes
which make the milk entirely unfit for hu-
man food. So great has this evil become
that the last Legislature declared that the
use of such material should be deemed
misdemesnor and punishable by q heavy
fine o. imprisonment, or both. The act
reads as follow, as quoted with punctus
tion marks from the Pamphlet Laws O.
the session of 1895: "Section l. Be 1t
enacted, DC, That the sale or offering Tor
sale of milk for human consumption IN this
commonwealth. to which has been added
borscic acid, salt borscic acid, sallcyhc
acid, sslicylate Of soda, or any other acid
drug, compound or substance shall be a
misdsmeanor and punishable by fine OF
not more than one hundred dollars. or an
Imprisonment not exceeding three months,
or both, or either, at the discretion of ths
court" 1t it true that the false punctua'
ton of the acts renders it ridiculous, but
as our courts generally rule according to
the spirit and intent of the law, it is, OF
course, presumed that the intent, which Is
very plain, will be taken as the guide.
The danger from the use of these pre-
servatives lays in the evident fast that any
thing which will prevent fermentation or
decomposition will also prevent digestion,
and it naturally follows that infants and
persons of weak digestion who take these
materials into their systems with their food
must suffer to a greater or less degree,
which will in all cases be in proportion to
the Vigor and strength of their digestion.
1t is also quite easy to imagine the milk
containing any salt of boracio acid may
and will, especially If continued any great
length Of time, infict injuries which may
prove permanent aud will undoubtedly
still further weaken the digestion. Our
milkme1 disagree as to the possibility OF
keeping milk free from the germs of decom-
position, but it has been clearly proven
that this can be accomplished without the
| use of preservatIves of any kind, aud that
| the best plan that can possibly be pursued
| is to prevent the introduction of the germs
| into the milk from the time that it leaves
the udder OF the COW. When first MIXED
if the animal is in good health it is prac-
tically free from all germs of disease, but
every minute that it remains exposed to
the atmosphere, especially in warm wealth
er, the danger of decomposition and dis
ease are increased, until, especially after
| it has been carried long distances 10 the
hot sun in wagons and cans, it may become
loaded with not only the germs which pro-
| duce the decomposition known as souring,
! but also other disease germs.
There are two plans. either of which
have been found to be effective. One is
| to sterilize the milk and kill all disease
| germs by the application Of heat and the
other is TO place tne milk in tightly sealed
bottles Immediately after the animal heat
has been taken out. If bottled with the
| the animal heat in the fluid the good
effects are not only lost, but the dangers
of composition aud change are really
! increased. If, however, by aeration OF
OF her means the milk is rapidly reduced in
temperature and then at once bottled. OF
| in some manner excluded from the posi-.
| bility of the entrance of these germs, the
object is attained and injury prevented. 1t
| has been clearly demonstrated that even in
warm weather, if the animal heat is rapid :
| ly taken out and the milk bottled or plac
in air-tight jars, it may be kept sweet and
| palatable and without change for severa
| days. Probably the same result could be
obtained by keeping it at very low tenn
perature, but this is not practicable when
| it must be transported considerable dis
lance 10 the Consumers. II should be re-
| membered that d, composition can only
commence in milk by the entrance Of the
| germs which cause the change. If these
| can in any way he excluded, the desired
| result is attained, and the aim should be
| to ascertain that method which will ac-
| complish this result at the least possible
cost. The addition of the so-called "pre-
| servatives" and "preservalines' is forbid
den by Law, and hence other means mus
| be resort ed to prevent the evil