The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-09-06

Since Tuesday last, unknown to the
dealers, the milk supply of this city
has been undergoing a governmental
inspection. The inspector, Prof. M. A.
Mcdonald, of the state experimental
station, is still in the city, but as he
has finished the work Of securing sam
pies, the announcement Of his pres
ence and his purpose here will not in
any way work against the object Of his
visit.
The state board Of health, which Is a
part of the department of agriculture.
is conducting the inspection. 1t is not
confined to this city, but extends to all
the larger cities of the commonwealth,
and will also be carried into New York,
where much of the milk output of
Scranton and vicinity finds a market.
Other food products are to be likewise
examined and report covering the
whole field published The report is in
tended to serve as a guide to future
legislation along the line of a more
wholesome food supply.
Prof. Mcdonald is a chemist at the
experiment station. He was selected
by the department of agriculture to
make the milk tests and was granted
three months leave of absence for
this purpose. He has already visited
eight cities and when he has finished
here will go to New York city, where
he will conclude his mission.
CAME HERE QUIETLY.
He came here quietly last Tuesday
| and made himself and his mission
known only to Food Inspector Thomas
Cullen. The addresses of the various
leading milk depots and other neces-
sary information being secured, the in
spector, without disclosing his identity,
went about and secured what samples
| he wanted. Then with the aid of the
| apparatus at the High school labora-
| tory the use of which was granted by
| Superintendent Howell and the new
| Babcock tester. located in Inspector
| Cullen's quarters in city hall, the gov
ernment man proceeded to find out Just
what quality of lacteal the good peo-
pie of this part of the state are being
| furnished.
The tests at the High school labora-
tory were made from a meteorological
standpoint. Those at city hall were to
determine whether or not the milk had
been out without an umbrella. The re-
| suits of the tests are of course not to
be disclosed until they are presented to
| the department.
A Tribune reporter was privileged to
watch the experiments with the Bab-
| cock tester Friday afternoon, and
found it very interesting operation.
| The samples were arranged in a row
in half-pint bottles, each labelled with
| a number corresponding to a number
| set opposite a dealers name on the re-
| port sheet. A smaller bottle with a
| long slender neck was set in front of
| each and was tagged to correspond
with the large bottle it faced. The
milk in the larger bottle was thorough
| ly shaken and a part of it, enough to
half fill the smaller bottle, was trans
| ferred to the smaller bottle. An equal
| quantity of sulphuric acid was added
| and when the whole had assumed a
| brownish black hue the testing bottles
| were placed in machine which caused
them to revolve at the rate of 1000
| revolutions minute, the bottles, dur
ing this operation, swinging horizon
tally, with the stems towards the
center.
MEASURING THE FAT MATTER.
After ten minutes of whirling a little
hot water is injected and then there is
another minute of whirling. After this
the bottles are removed and in the
neck of the bottle is found solidly
wedged all the fats that the milk con-
tanned. The fatty matter being the
standard by which milk is measured
the only computation necessary is to
measure the quantity of fat in the neck
of the bottle, which is very easily and
simply done by means Of a scale
marked on the bottles neck and which
bears a fixed ratio to the contents OF
the bottle. One glance tells the per-
centage of fat and the result is marked
down on the report sheet.
The principle of the test as explained
by Prof. Mcdonald is this: The sui.
phuric acid separates the fat from the
water, albumenoids and other ingredi.
ents of milk, and by reason of its spe-
4 cific gravity being less than the other
component parts and a great deal less
when the heavy sulphuric acid is added
1t is readily made to seek the top OF
the bottle by the centrifugal force OF
|