PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 186, 26 April 1918, Page 9

PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY

THE MILK PROBLEM. The Wellington Philosophical. Society held its first, nicetinfj' of the session of 1918 at -the Museum on Wednesday, ivlren Mr. B. L. Andrew, (it the Dominion Laboratory, gave art instructive address on "Laboratory Control of Milk Supply," illustrated by.a series of experiments and tests aa at present carried out at the Dominion Laboratory. Mr. George Hogben, C.M.G., president of tho society, was in the chair, and there 1 was a fair attendance of members and their friends, including some city councillei's who were present by invitation. Mr. Andrews in his address 6aid that although much 1-iid already been dono in Wellington' to bring about a proper system of milk control a great deal still lemained to bo done. The most import, ant result obtained from the recent wide discission of the subject was that the public hnd been ruado aware that eomo form of control vas necessary. A great denl could bo dono by the sanitary inspectiou of farms and veterinary inspection of stock, but there would still be much for tho analyst to do, for by the very nature of its composition milk was, an ideal'broeding-grouiul forinicrobcs, aiut laboratory experiments would show the practical methods that could best be applied to the city milk supply to combat this danger. Ho then carried out testa to detormino tho composition of. milk, and attention was drawn to the standards 3.25 per cent, for fat and 8.50 per cent, for solids other than fat. These stand-_ ards were both sot particularly, but im-' mediately they were set.a general pro'test was nindo that they ivero set toehigh. This was not so, as was proved by a long series of examinations of (samples of milk collected from vendors in tho streets. Tho lowest monthly nyerages wero 3.91 per cent. (July) and 8.85 per cent. and tho highest 4.38 per cent. (April) and 9.20 per.cent. (November). The experiments curried out by one of tho largest English dairy companies showed that both in respect (o fats and solids tho average | milk supplied in Wellington was of better quality than that supplied by tho English .company. The freezing and ether methods of detecting added water wero then ileal t with in an interesting manner, and the tests explained. Tho standard sot in America and on the European Continent was that no visible sedi-. nient shouUPsettlo out of a litre of milk. That standard would not suffice for Wellington under present conditions, for live parts of dirt per million would just settle visibly out of a litre of milk, whereas the average obtained from 39 samples obtained locally was 2B pnrts per millinn, tho lowest sliwinK 5, just up to the American standard, and the worst GO parts of dirt per million. The good effect of heavy fines on conviction of milk vendors was touched upon. In 1i)lD 211 samples were examined, and ■!"> v.ere found t<) contain ndded wnlcr. In Wtf. alter vendors had lime to ponder over the heavy penalties, 1728 samples were taken, .mid only 20 were found to hnvo been watered. Air. Andrews ffa= accorded a hearty vote of thanks fur his address.