COMPOSITION O F S W I L L MILK.
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BY DR. A L ~ E R R. T LEEDS.
T h e Dairy Commissloner of t h e State of New Jersey, under t h e impression khat t h e milk snpplied by cattle entirely stall-fed upon t h e swill and brewery grain obtained from New York hotels and breweries would afford milk of quality below 'the State standard, a n d objectionable or dangerous on other accounts, has recently submitted a sample of this milk to me for cxamination. T h e cattle were in dark, dirty and ill ventilated stables, the principal ,zlleviation of their condition being t h a t afforded by a great ttbnndaiice of excellent spring water for drinking. At. the time of collectirig t h e sample, which represents the milk of a number of cows. the animals appeared to be all in good physical condition. T h e milk was normal in color, smell and taste, witli slightly acid reaction. I t s specific gravity a t 15' C. was 1.0309. Instead of giving very low percentages, a11 its constituents were as high in amount cis is usual in t h e milk obtained a t t h e same season of the year (Xovember) from dairy cattle. T h e compositioii was : Albnminoids - - - - - .- - - - - - - - - - - - . - . . - - -3.469 per cent. Fats _ - _ __ . _ _ _ _ ____ . __ . ___ ___. _ _ - ._ -5.17 _. (' Lactose - - - - - - - - . - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -4.427 " Ash . _ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ __ __ . _ _ _ _ 0.749 _ _ _ _ (' _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ~
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1otal - - . - - - .- - - - - - - - - - - - - . - - - - 13.815 A plate culture of from one drop, one-twentieth of a cubic centimeter, showed the presence of 4,200 colonies of bacteria after t h e lapse of eighteen hours, with so numerous a proportion of liquefying colonies t h a t f u r t h e r counting was discontinued. T h e swill fed to these cattle was accompanied by a large amount of brewers' grains, the latter indeed being the chief component of the food. There was no hay, or other feed, nor were they a t any time p u t on pasturage. r ,
