i 



STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 765 



oleine and margarine fats. In Royle's " Materia Medica" there 

 is a proximate analysis of this oil by Dr. de Jongh, which gives — 



Of oleic acid, 74. 



Margaric acid, _ 11 .75 



Glycerine, 10.17 



Butyric and acetic acid, _ .11 



Other substances, _ 3.97 



100.00 



This analysis shows a far greater percentage of oleine compared 

 with margarine than any other fat I have seen noticed. 



That the nutritive effects of materials for food depend much 

 on their proximate elements, I need only adduce the composition 

 of the grain and straw of wheat, which are very similar in their 

 proportion of ultimate elements, whilst the predominating proxi- 

 mate principle of the grain is starch (73 per cent,) that of straw 

 woody fibre, of which it contains 61 per cent with only 36 of 

 starch. That oleine is more easy of consumption (more available 

 for respiration,) I refer to Lehmann, vol. i., p. 121, where he 

 states that the lat of animals being found to contain a greater pro- 

 portion in comparison with the fat of plants, may probably be 

 attributable to the oleine being more easy of consumption. 



My attention was drawn to some experiments of Dr. Leared, 

 publislied in the " Medical Times," from which it appeared that 

 the oleine of cod-liver oil agreed better with several of his patients 

 than the oil in its natural state, from which he drew the inference 

 that the effect of margarine was excrementitious; this can only 

 apply to patients whose organs are weakened. My observations 

 on feeding, tend to the conclusion that if you affurd animals an 

 adequate supply of sugar, starch, and ulein fats fur their respi- 

 ratory and other functions, the margarine of the fotul will be 

 converted into and stored up in animal fat to the extent which 

 the system is capa])le of absorbing. I am, however, clearly of 

 opinion, that on a deficiency of food, or incajtacity of the organs 

 from disease or otlier causes, to sui)])ly the wants of respiration, 

 the stores of solid or margarine fat are laid hold of and consumed. 

 In the s]»ring of 1853, I sold S(jme fatted cattle to Mr. Freeman, 

 of Otley, witli wlioni T had fre(iuently dealt; he reported tliat 

 they did not contain the quantity of loose fat wliich he had been 



