’ eee 
REPORT OF THE CHEMIST. ia 135 
BAKING-POWDERS. 
A sample of baking-powders has been submitted for analysis, the 
composition of which is as follows: 3 parts starch ; 1 part bicarbonate of 
soda; 1 part alum. ° 
_ ‘The presence of alum in the’ so-called baking-powders of the market 
is almost invariable, and its use for this purpose has been almost uni- | 
versally condemned by those of the medical profession who have pro- 
nounced an opinion. 
ARSENICAL PAPER. 
A specimen of wall-paper was examined for arsenic, and was found to 
be one of the most poisonous papers of this class. 
It certainly should be a matter subject to the careful supervision of 
our boards of health to prevent the sale of such papers, since repeated 
eases of arsenical poisoning have been produced by the use of them. 
The amount of arsenious acid present in a square foot of this paper was 
found to be 4.73. grains. 
EXAMINATION OF AMERICAN AND FOREIGN BUTTERS ‘AND OLEOMAR- 
GARINE. 
The examination of the American and foreign butters was made with 
@ view of discovering if American butter could not be shipped to South 
America and arrive there in as good condition as foreign-made butters. 
The butters analyzed included the following, viz: One specimen each, 
of Danish, Swiss, and French butter, received from J. B. Thompson, of 54 
Broad street, New York City ; one specimen each of Iowa butter of sec- 
ond quality, New York dairy butter, and oleomargaring bought in 
Washington markets. . To these are added the analyses of two speci- 
mens of oleomargarine received from House Committee for District of 
Columbia. 
! 
No. 4 Fats. |Cancin.| Satt. | Sagar. | Watatel Selen 
A 
1 1. 46 2.75 - 52 4.17 99. 84 
2 eal 2. 50 . 65 6. 35 99. 14 
3 86 4.7 .18 6. 80 99. 94 
4 1. 82 2. 76 “13 | 9.06 99. 85 
5 | New York - Bs 2.2; 4.10 1. 82 7. 66 99. 73 
6 | Oleomargurine.........-- Pe aohe Sarena conn 84. 92 ee) 6. 65 . 60 5. 89 99. 25 
PECHEOUIETCRPING..- <sannia dana sae nd sem se s-ap-cce <6 84.7 .69 6. 2f 1,33 7.19 | 100.14 
8 | Oleomargarine..-.....,--...... Mercere 86. 28 59 5.05 1. 26 6.85 | 100. 03 
In animal fats the fatty acids insoluble in water form from 93.5 to 96 
per cent., while in true butter the insoluble fatty acids average from 35.5 
to 87.5 per cent. of the butter fat, and never exceed 89.6 per cent. Hence, 
since in the samplo of oleomargarine No. 6 the fatty acids equal 95.96 
per cent. of the fats, it will be seen that this sample of olecmargarine 
was made from animal fats to which had been added a little milk in the 
process of manufacture. ° 
In washing a true butter with water the water becomes milky, and 
a portion of these washings under the microscope shows a vast number of 
fat globules present in the buttermilk contained in the butter. The 
specimens of oleomargarine Nos. 7 and 8, on thecontrary, give anearly clear 
water by washing, and this water is almost entirely destitute of fat glob- 
ules, except that, since milk is used in their manufacture to a limited 
