Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-11-07
THE ANALYSIS OF MILK.


Laboratory Chemists Comm ent Upon Their
Examination of samples Obtained IA This
City.
Relative to the examination Of SAMPLES
OF milk recently obtained from AZ
dealers 10 this city, the ohemists at the
State Bacteriological and Pathological
Laboratory make the following com.
ment, some Of the milk having been
found TO be all hight and some adul.
terated or SKINNED, as heretofore an
nounoed
Since the date Of our last Bulletin
this laboratory has made number a.
analysis of milk sold in the CITY of vii.
mingtou. Tbs samples were collected
az various milk depots and from wagons,
Inc names OF the dealers have been
purposely omitted'as it is not our pur.
POSE to expose particular persons, but
only to determine the general character
OF the milk as sold, and to show the
Importance OF more stringent laws and
regulations governing the quality of
the supply. They show, In the first
place, that formaldehyde is very
generally added to milk as preserya-
tive, 1t heing found in GO per cent OF
the samples examined. Regarding the
action OF formaldehyde Halliburton
showed that the presence of O5 uer
cent rendered gastric digestion almost
impossible, and Los per cent delayed il
considerably. The weakest solutions
had an inhibitory action on the nan
oreatic digestion OF fibrin and starch.
According to the recent researches of
Tunnicliffe and Rosenheim, fJour. of
Hygiene, l, 1901, 32l) formaldehyde
when used in the proportion of 1000
or :900O in food, or drink had no an.
preoiabiy bad effect on healthy children.
but in delicate child it had notice.
able effect on general assimilation due
to- its retsrding action on pancreatic
digestion. IN the latter proportion Of
L 5000 or.l 10000, which would suffice to
prevent the fermentation of milk. no
harm might result to normal healthy
cniidren, and probably none to adults,
put for delicate children and inyalids
its continued use even ia these pro.
portions IS III the light Of the most
eonservative view not to be recon.
menoed' Furthermore We can not be
sure tnat milk men will always use
only the minimum quantity, on the
contrary there Is reason to bsljex q that
frequently excessive quantities are used
so as to make the milk, by CONTINUED
use, harmful to even the more robust ,
But there is another side to the ,,es.
tion. The addition of formaldebyde ia
an 'adulteration. There are two ways
Of keeping milk. One is absolute
cleanliness in handling. and the use of
ice. The other IS by the use of pre.
servatiyes such as formaldehyde. The
latter is the cheaper method for tbe
dalryman, and therefore the one he
naturally adopts. But such a con.
venient method for masking uncleapli-
ness is not satisfactory to the public.
what the people want, and what they
Will demand, is clean, cool milk instead
OF an article which is only kept from
turning into cheese by doses of formal
dehyde. Ii the use of formaldehyde is
prohibited and heavy penalty for it's
use imposed, milk will have to stand |
on its merits as milk. The dirty milk |
man will see his product spoil in the |
hands OF his customers, and will suffer |
Just loss of trade, while the more |
careful dairyman will reap increased |
benefits. 1850
In 1895 the Legislature Of Penpsyl- |
vania passed an act governing the use !
OF preservatives in milk. 1t provides |
tnat the sale or offering for sails nf !
milk for human consumption in this |
Com monwealth to which has been |
added boraoic acid, salIcylic acid,
salicyiate Of soda or any other drug
compound or substance shall he mis-,
demeanor, punishable by fine of not
more than 300 or an Imprisonment not
exceeding three months, or both, or
either, at the discretion of the court. -
That there ia warrant for the passses
OF a similar act in Delaware no one can
doubt from the facts of the case as here
presented.
The second point brought out in this
is the extensive aduItera-
tion OF the milk as sold in Wilmington.