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86
It is pleaded that the latter section is unfair as the defendant may not
produce a warranty, neither has he the right to have the third part analysed
by the Government Chemist, nor is he entitled to a copy of the certificate.
With regard to these points, the Government Chemist could not possibly
check the Hortvet as the milk would be sour ; a copy of the certificate is
always sent to the defendant. It seems plain that the section was intended
to be used when the prosecution was not depending on an analysis of the
milk but had other means of proving that water had been added. (The
freezing point method was not in use in this country at the time of this Act.)
All milk purveyors in Stepney have, however, been circularised by the
Medical Officer of Health to the effect that the Council may rely in milk
prosecutions upon the Hortvet freezing test in addition to chemical analysis
and advising them of the necessity of submitting their portions for examination
by their analyst immediately after the samples are taken. [Lockwood
(Analyst 1932, 57, 698) describes a preservative solution of a particular concentration
which can be used to keep a sample for several days.
It is stated that no other borough takes legal proceedings on the Hortvet
only, when the sample otherwise satisfies the Regulations. I am unaware
of the action taken by other boroughs, but similar cases are taken in the
provinces.
That the
amount of
added water
is trivial.
As previously explained, the certificate states the minimum amount of
added water which is definitely present. In most cases the actual figure will
be 2 or 3 per cent, higher than this. It is not a question, as has been put to
me, of the amount of added water that would be present in a cup of milk, but
a question of possibly a thousand or more gallons of milk involving the sale of
tens of gallons of water daily.
That the
Hortvet
method is
not described
as an official
method
by any
Re lation.
Under the Food and Drugs Act the analyst is free to use any method in
order to detect adulteration. There are no official methods of analysis which
he is bound to follow. (Official methods are laid down in the Fertilisers and
Feeding Stuffs Act, the bacteriological examination of graded milks, etc.)
It is also pointed out that since the Monier Williams report on the freezing
point of milk to the Local Government Board in 1914, the method has not
been taken up by the Ministry of Health.
Cost of the
Hortvet
test.
It is objected that the milkman has to pay a higher fee to the analyst
for carrying out the Hortvet test.
I understand that unqualified chemists charge Is. 6d. for a mechanical
analysis of a sample and 10s. 6d. for the Hortvet test, the fee being reduced
for a number of tests made at the same time.
Other
determinations.
Elsdon (Analyst 1934, 59, 665) examined samples of colostrum obtained
by milking cows following parturition and obtained a range of —0.541° C. to
-0.590 °C.
Page (Annual Report, Portsmouth, 1933) examined 22 samples of human
milk and obtained a range of —0.532° C. to —0.566° C. He also obtained a
range of —0.553° C. to —0.571° C. on four samples of goats' milk.
A large number of determinations of the freezing point of cows' milk
have been made, and a depression of 0.530° C. is generally accepted as a basis
for calculating the minimum amount of added water in milk.