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1898] 162
moment too soon, but meanwhile milk dealers will be able to continue
to adulterate milk by the addition of water, and to remove a large
quantity of the fat by means of a separator without let or hindrance.
Separated Milk.—The subject of recommending special legislation
with respect to the sale of this diet came before the Public Health
Committee on a reference from the Vestry of Camberwell, but it was
decided to take no action on it.
A most important decision was given by the Court of Queens
Bench in the case of Petchley v. Taylor, in which it was held that
condensed "separated" milk described on the label as "skimmed"
milk was wrongly designated. There cannot, of course, be any doubt
as to the decision of the Court being absolute!}' correct, although it is
a misfortune that the question was ever raised, because the term
"separated milk" will convey little or no meaning, or a mis-leading
one, to the great mass of the people, whereas everyone understood the
term "skimmed milk" to mean milk deprived of its fat. It is quite
true that these terms have a very distinct meaning to scientists, but it
will be a long while before the public will differentiate between the two
words. To them "skimmed" milk has always been understood to be
"creamless" milk—milk without its fat; but "separated" milk may,
and doubtless will, convey an uncertain meaning.
That this may be so is proved by the fact that when condensed
"separated" milk was first put on the market, the public did not
understand what was meant by the word "separated" and the writer
has been informed by a member of one of the largest retail grocery
firms in London, that the manufacturers, in order to make the public
clearly understand what they were buying, were forced to change the
word "separated," which was not understood, to the word "skimmed,"
which was. He has also been told that a bench of Magistrates held
that the term "separated" was mis-leading, and was not one that
would be generally understood and that such milk should be described
as "skimmed."
The writer has been unable to trace this case, although he has no
reason to doubt the accuracy of the statement, for his authority is one
that is always most reliable in matters that affect the grocery trade.