PURITY OF MILK.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 10582, 11 October 1910, Page 6

PURITY OF MILK.

(Per Press Association.) Wellington, October 10. At the Magistrate's Court to-day, before Mr W. G. Riddell, S.M., the prosecution "against tlie Wellington Fresh Food and Ice Company for an alleged sale of milk adulterated with water was resumed. j\lr H. H. Ostler appeared on behalf of the Health Department, and Mr T. W. Hislop for defendants. The case had i>een adjourned from last Monday with a view iourned from last Monday with a view to enabling Dr M'Laurui to give rebutting evidence against the statement bv Professor Easterfield that water had hot been added to the natural product sold bv defendants. This morning the prosecutor objected' to the procedure adopted by defendants in calling an analyst without notice. It was unsatisfactory and contrary to the spirit of the act. He asked that Professor Easterfield be recalled, and the Magistrate agreed. Professor Easterfield said that the test he had applied was the cryoscopio method, which was based on the difference between the '• freezing point ot pure milk and the temperature at which -water freezes. If water • were added it would raise tlie freezing point of-'tbe-mixture. -Witness 1 had': made two series of determinations, and' found the freezing pbints to be .588 and 590 respectively. The--difference -represented dxperimental error. The samples or in ilk were thenvfour days< old.- pW ltness did not test it fox acidity that day, but riinde Wt'est' Vitli'"this object when it had been exposed to the air for,2a hours It was tlien distinctly "oil the having an acidity equal to 0,4 cubic centimetres of nylO alkali. - Mr' Ostler: That.is greek to inp, lror fessorf—(Laughter.) i ' nTo Mr Hislop: Witness was -satisfied that lio water had been - added to the milk. • :- . : . . ■■ - James Sco-tt. M !Laui in (Dominion ani'alyst)- said that Mr'Hislop's conteiitiori that the standard of milk requned in-New Zealand, was higher than any other . country in - the ;Woild, >vas ciron'eous.' 'Witness had " examined , a sample of the milk, 'and found it below tlie'Standard 111 fatty solids-, of wluqli it contained 7.42; The lowest amopg 1600 Samples he had' tested over seveiral...years was 7.8. ■ - The,.-average, Was 8.8, 'or 8.9. In witness' opinion water had' been - added to the sample. He was unaware that it was the lyresh Food and Ice Company's. The cryoscopic method was not an absolute .test as to -whether water had been added, unless the milk was quite sweet. Witness had analysed 28 samples of milk supplied bv the defend <uits 3 <ind found all except" two to be above the stundard « • -i ,- .?•-•. ■ A'large amount of technical evidence relating to the scientific analysis of milk and the determination of solid ingredients -was given b\ Dr M'Laiirin. His f reports' were quoted 1 by. defeiidant s counsel to' show in some cases a centage of 7.16 of solid matter in milk obtained from the Weraroa otate Farm * In the case of the milk supplied bv the defendants witness found' ttliafc wa-tkr 'had been added to the / tent erf pfet: cent, or more. _ t w jAfter hearing lengthy argument his Worship his decision.