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134
As is well known, considerable dissatisfaction is
felt in the working of the Adulteration Act, with
reference to the Court of Appeal and I wish once
more to place upon record the strong opinions I
entertain, that no certain judgment can be placed
upon the original condition of a milk, from the condition
of a stale sample.
If the Public Analyst is not allowed to give a
certificate for a milk unless he can certify that no
change has taken place in the condition of the article
that would interfere with the Analysis, for what
reason should Somerset House be allowed to base
its judgment upon a stale sample, and pronounce
authoritatively upon its original character? The
lowering of the standard of purity has very much
injured the general character of milk although the
public has benefitted by the Act. Farmers seem
to recognise that they can generally water the milk
some eight or ten per cent., forgetting that when
they have done it, they leave to the vendors no
power of further adulteration, and bring about
prosecutions.
Of eleven Butters, only one consisted mainly
of fat, other than butter-fat, but several of them were