KEPORT OF THE CHEMIST. 



77 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



BUTTER AND OLEOMAHaARINE. 



During tlie present year, as in the past, the departiuent lias been 

 called upon to decide whether the samples submitted for examination 

 were true butter or artificial imitations thereof. Several samples that 

 proved upon analysis to be oleomargarine had been sold for veritable 

 iDnttcr, while others were sold under their proper name. 



It must be admitted that carefully prepared oleomargarine is superior 

 to poor butter as regards taste, odor, and healthfulness ; at the same 

 time it is hardly probable that it will ever be i^referred to butter of good 

 quality. It cannot rightfully be sold as butter, but should be disposed 

 of under its proi)er name, "oleomargarine," in order that consumers may 

 obtain exactly what they wish. There can be no valid objections urged 

 against the manufacture and sale of good oleomargarine if no deception 

 is practiced upon the buyer. This whole matter has been thoroughly 

 tested in English courts; the law there makes it a misdemeanor to sell 

 any article of food, drink, or medicine under any false or misleading 

 name. A law, carefully framed, is greatly needed in this country, where 

 adulteration and substitution are every day practiced. 



The most trustworthy method for the analysis of butter and other 

 fatH is that originally proposed by Hebner and Angell; it is based upon 

 tbo fact that butter- fat contains from 85.5 to 89.G i^er cent, of insoluble 

 fatty acids, while animal fats j)rocured from tissues contain from about 

 90 to 95.5 ])er cent, of insoluble fatty acids. Butter-fat also contains 

 about 5 to per cent, of soluble fatty acids (chietiy butyric acid) com- 

 bined also with giyceriiie in the fat. For all the best methods for analy- 

 sis of fats see The Analyst (London), vols. I and II. 



Eight analyses of butter and oleomargarine will be found in the de- 

 partment report for 1878, p. 135. 



Constituents. 



Insoluble fatty acids in l\o. 1 

 Insoluble f.ilty acids in No. 3 

 lasolublo t;Uty acids in No. 3 



Per cent, 

 of fats. 



86.13 

 90.80 

 03.72 



ALCOHOLIC LIQUORS. 



In the examination of alcoholic liquors chemical analysis is certainly 

 very important ; by this means a practiced analyst can determine in 

 most cases whether the sample is what it pretends to be or whether it is 

 merely a mixture of raw spirit with various aromatic coloring and other 

 substances. 



Alcohol, sugar, tannin, acids, jelly-forming (pcctinous) substances, 

 water, and ash can also be estimated with reasonable accuracy. 



