84 THE MICROSCOPE. 



The active principle is a resinoid, soluble only in strong alcohol. 



The dose is from 30 drops to two fl 11 i drachms. It is applied 

 externally as well as given internally. 



Its most valuable therapeutic use is assuaging nervous pain and 

 producing sleej"). — Louisa Reed Stowell, M. S., in Therapeutic Gaz. 



Oi.KOMAKG.'VRiNK VS. BuTTER. — It is my Opinion that one can 

 always detect the oleomargarine by the taste alone ; but this is not 

 said with any degree of assurance. 



However, there can be no doubt that the better grades of oleo- 

 margarine are more palatable than common butter. On the score 

 of healthfulness, oleomargarine can be confidently recommended. 

 Chemically it has almost the same composition as butter. 



It has been asserted that lard is added to butter in the West ; 

 but no authoritative information upon that subject has yet come to 

 my notice. Oleomargarine butter is mixed with the natural pro- 

 duct by the farmers, at least it is so stated. by persons who are 

 probably well informed upon the subject ; and this adulteration 

 would be very difficult to detect unless the microscope would reveal 

 it, and it undoubtedly would in some cases. An excess of salt in 

 butter constitutes an adulteration, for not only does the salt injure 

 the butter for consumption, but it also enables the maker to incor- 

 porate a large amount of water with the butter — even as much as 

 40 per cent, of water has been found in butter, held by the excess 

 of salt. 



The microscopical examination of butter and oleomargarine 

 must be conducted with extreme care, for it is very easy to draw 

 erroneous conclusions. Nevertheless, I am inclined to believe that 

 the microscope will, when properly used, enable us to distinguish 

 one from the other. As regards the impurities which have been 

 stated to occur in artificial butter, such as muscular tissue and ani- 

 mal matter of various kinds, I have never been able to identify a 

 single shred of muscle in any of my exa.ninations. However, a cer- 

 tain amount of debris, which very likely comes from the fat cells, 

 docs occur in the artificial product. In the absence of distinct 

 crystals, a person who is familiar with the appearance of both butter 

 and oleomargarine under the microscope, would probably be able 



