The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-11
SYNTHETIC MILK AT LAST

London Correspondent New York Times.
 A process of manufacturing synthetic ally pure and wholesome milk of high nutritive value, possessing all the virtues of the original article and none of it's dangers, has recently been perfected in a London laboratory.
 The discovery really originated years ago as the result of the ingenuity of Chinaman, who saw a possible substitute for milk in the native drink prepared from the soya bean. His efforts, now ever, met with only partial success, owing to the fact that the fluid pre- pared by him had an exceedingly pene- trating and, to western palates, disagree able taste. It was left to a German chemist to lay the foundations of the new synthetic milk by suggesting a com posite fluid made up of all the ingre dients of cows milk in correct propor- tion.
 sThis. suggestion was widely discussed about two years ago, but the many ob vious difficulties in the way of it's reali- zation caused the public to regard it more as dream than possibility. One or two chemists, however, attracted by the idea, continued to work at the sub ject, with the result. says the Times, that synthetic milk is now an accom- plished fact t.I
 The fluid, as far as its appearance is concerned, is quite indistinguishable from rich cows milk. The taste seems to some persons slightly different from that of ordinary milk. It is said that even this difference can be removed at will.
 The new milk has been built up from a basis of casein obtained from the soya bean Casein, of course, is likewise the basic eonstieuent of cows milk. The beans are treated by a special process whereby all oil and waste matter are re- moved and only the pure casein left. To this basis are added in exact proportions fatty acids, sugars ahd salts, and emul- sification is carried out. The difficulty in producing a perfect emulsion (milkis one of the most perfect emulsions lxnown) has been completely overcome, the new fluid satisfying every test in this di- rection, even to the extent of refusing to ''cream."
 Milk, however, is something more than a food substance; it is a living fluid con taining a definite strain of bacteria which assist in its digestion. In order that the synthetic milk may approxi- mate in all respects to the real milk, bacteria of the required strains, includ- ing the tactic acid (sour milk bacim ren- dered famous by Metchnikoff a few years ago, are introduced to the fluid and permitted to act upon it until it reaches exactly that state of what may be termed maturity, at which fresh cows milk is obtained. That it is indeed real milk is proved by the fact that excellent cheese and butter can be made from 1t.
 The advantages of the new milk are obvious It is, of course, free from all suspicion of being contaminated with milk borne" diseases like tuberculosis scarlet fever or diptheria. It can, more- over, be made up in any proportions de- sired-that is. with more or less casein, fat. sugar or salts, and thus can be sup piled to children and iifvalids according to medical prescription. Finally, the new milk can be produced more cheaply than can ordinary milk
 The distinctive taste of the milk is due to the use which is made of the soya bean. It Is almost impossible to describe it, since, like the taste of celery and cin- namon, it is peculiar to itself and char acteristfc.
 According to the Times, dairyman when some milk from his own dairy was placed before him, together with some made by the new process, declared that the milk from his own farm was the ar tificial product. He was naturally amazed to learn the truth. '