THE ANALYST. 287 NOTES OF THE MONTH. It is curious that The Grocer should enquire “ Where are the analysts ? ” but still more so that it should be because some one has sold rotten beef. However, when we read a little further, we find that it is a co-operative society who is in fault, so there is no wonder. The Grocer’s antipathy to co-operative societies must certainly be expected to override its natural aversion to analysts.We are not at all surprised that some of our contemporaries want to know how it is that, since the Somerset House Chemists now agree to the milk standard of the Public Analysts, there should have been any differences in time past. This, however, is easy to explain. Experience is not gained in a day, and the Inland Revenue officials (of course we do not speak of Mr.Bell and his colleagues, but only of the gaugers and288 THE ANALYST. other similar officials employed to collect the samples of milk) have now gained the necessary experience, and find that the figures we laid down years ago are correct. Such an accordance implies no discredit to the Somerset House chemists, but, on the contrary, simply shows that as they obtain new light on the matters in question they act as scientific men should, and alter their opinions accordingly.Mr. Chance, the worthy magistrate of Lambeth, in his wisdom, thinks that a milkman delivering milk at houses must be proved to have milk to sell before he can be summoned for refusing to serve an Inspector, and that customers who have ordered certain quantities are not to go without their breakfast merely because an Inspector wants some milk for analysis. We are extremely sorry to find a metropolitan magistrate holding such an absurd opinion as this.Even if milkmen have not always far more than enough to serve their regular customers with, yet surely such customers deserve to be as much protected from fraud as people who obtain milk from shops.But if such ti decision as this is to stand, a milk-round, at least in Mr. Chance’s district, will be about the most profitable concern going, as the dealers prohibited from watering the milk sold in their shops will take good care to well water that to be delivered at houses, and with the excuse Mr. Chance has put into their mouths, “None to spare,” they may go on their round rejoicing, and bid defiance to the Inspector.We presume the Lambeth magistrate actually has seen the Act passed last session to enable Inspectors to purchase samples from street vendors. We are happy t3 see that other magistrates hold a more sensible view, and consider that if a, milkmaq has a can from which he ia serving customers at houses with one, two, or three-pennyworth, according to the quantity required, he is actually selling milk.If some of his customers require more than umal, he don’t say to them, ( 6 None to spare,” because he is prepared for it ; and he is equally prepared with enough extra milk to serve an Inspector with a pint. If he refuses he does so because he knows he will be summoned for adding water, and not for the reason Mr.Chance gives. We notice that a Bristol farmer has lately been fined 820 and costs for sending out to his customers milk containing 15 per cent. of water ; and in another case-an action against him by a dairyman for supplying milk containing 25 per cent. of water- he has been condemned to pay a fine of 610 and the costs, which are said to amount fo over 6300. We should imagine that, this farmer, with a dairy of a hundred cowa, will, in future, send out their produce only to his customers, and not indulge in the expensive habit of mixing with it the produce of the cow with an iron tail. With these costly proceedings in the mind of the Bristol farmers, the milk dealers there will, we hope, get the purest milk supply in the kingdom; but we rather wonder whether it will be in the same pure condition when it reaches the consumers.Sunday adulteration may fairly be commended to the notice of inspectors. We used to have milk and water on Sunday morning, but as we did not agree to the maxim of ‘( the better the day the better the deed,” a vigorous remonstrance and a private milk- can put a, stop to the swindle. The irrspeotors had better look out a little sharper,THE ANALYST.289 perhaps some other things besides milk may be reserved for Sunday morning, or at any rate Saturday night might be possible. We have to thank a trade contemporary for this hint. It might be only fair to give the traders a hint in return. If it should happen that a manufacturer receives a letter threatening him with exposure because, as it is alleged, his manufactures contain poisonous metals, his proper and straightforward course is at once to submit samples to the Public Analyst of the district in which his works or warehouse is.The cost of such a course will be, comparatively speaking, trivial ; while the cost of black mail can never be foretold. Manufacturers should bear in mind that no proceedings can possibly be inatituted on the certificate of any person other than a Public Analyst, and that Public Analyst@ me the only legally appointed officers to whom cases of supposed adulteration can be sent.The term Public Analysts is a legal title; but, if some recent proceedings are oontinued, it will certainly become necessary to impose by law a penalty on those using it illegally. Public Analysts are amenable to the veto of the Local Government Board on their appointments, and it is quite right that they should be so ; but for that very reason, those who pretend to act as Public Analysts without authority must be made subject to penalty.It would be very interesting if 6ome of the millers would tell usif alum is ordinarily mixed with pig food. Of course Public Analysts have no concern with the matter directly, but when samples of 4 4 flour fourths ” are said to be intended for the food of pigs, and not men, the question naturally ariees, In what way can the alum do good to the pigs?” We do not recollect that we have ever heard that swine showed any preference for bread artificially whitened. The papers for this month contain reports of a number of cases of proved adulteration, in which the summonses have been dismissed merely because the vendors have declared the admixture after the inspector had said that he purchased for analysis.An important case has, however, just been decided on appeal before Justices Lush and Manisty, which we trust w i l l put an end to this. We must postpone until next month a full report of the case ; but, shortly, the judges affirmed the ccmviction of a vendor who had been asked for coffee and received the price of coffee, and supplied instead a mixture of chicory and coffee, although he had, after being informed that the sample was required for analysis, called the purchaser’s attention to a label declaring it to be a, mixture. We have not space to do more than call the attention of our readers to the full report on another page of the decision at Cambridge with respect to Norfolk Baking Powder.