1886.] 



MICROSCOPICAL JOURNAL. 



169 



E. Processes shorter than semi-cell diameter, ends inrcsite^ furcatum, 150. 



E. Processes 6, short, notched ; semi-cell rectangular, twice wider than long, 



duplex^ 149* 



F. End view central radiating processes 6 ; marginal, including angles, 9, 



senarium^ I47* 

 F. " central and marginal spines short, numerous, notched, 



spong'iosum, 148. 



Butter and Fats and Oleomarga- 

 rine. 



DR. THOMAS TAYLOR's REPLY TO 

 PROF. WEBER. 



Dr. Thomas Taylor, microscopist 

 of the U. S. Department of Agricul- 

 ture at Washington, was appointed 

 the first speaker at the meeting of 

 the American Society of Microscop- 

 ists held at Chautauqua, August loth 

 to 14th, to make answer to the paper 

 of Prof. Weber on ' Butter and 

 Fats.' Dr. Taylor commenced by 

 alluding to the first three experi- 

 ments made by Prof. Weber in rela- 

 tion to the crystals of butter, lard, 

 and oleo fat. Here Dr. Taylor 

 called attention to the tact that Prof. 

 Weber acknowledged that thus far 

 Dr. Taylor's statements in relation 

 to the forms of the three respective 

 fats named were verified. The next 

 following three experiments of Prof. 

 Weber were reviewed by Dr. Taylor. 

 They related to three different com- 

 pounds of butter and lard. The first 

 composition consisted of ninety parts 

 butter and ten parts lard ; 2d com- 

 position, seventy-five parts butter, 

 twenty-five parts lard ; 3d compo- 

 sition, fifty parts butter, fifty of lard. 

 Each of these compositions was 

 boiled, cooled, and examined by 

 Prof. Weber. He says all exhibited 

 the butter crystal. To these three 

 experiments Dr. Taylor objected be- 

 cause they did not represent his 

 method of testing for oleomargarine. 

 Dr. Taylor in his annual report to 

 the Commissioner of Agriculture 

 sets forth that it is absolutely neces- 

 sary to examine all butter substitutes 

 as purchased. By this means the 

 crystals of lard, if present, are at 



once detected by means of the micro- 

 scope. The object being to distin- 

 guish foreign fats, such as lard and 

 beef, which are never found in pure 

 butter. Dr. Taylor explained that it 

 was a great error on the part of Prof. 

 Weber to boil a suspected butter 

 substitute on receiving it, because 

 were butter present in quantity in 

 combination with lard and beef fat 

 the foreign crystals would be ab- 

 sorbed by the large butter crystals 

 formed by the process of boiling. 

 It should be obsei^ved that lard and 

 beef fats have passed through the 

 process of boiling, while the butter 

 combined with it has simply been 

 melted at a low temperature. In 

 normal oleomargarine their crystals 

 are already formed while the butter 

 shows none unless boiled. To a 

 superficial observer boiled oleomar- 

 garine, if it contain much butter, 

 would appear true butter instead of 

 oleomargarine. Whereas, by first 

 making microscopical examination, 

 the lard crystal may be at once de- 

 tected and save further labor. 



Dr. Taylor further stated that it 

 should be borne in mind that the 

 object sought was not the presence 

 of butter, but the presence of foreign 

 fats, and that the moment they were 

 detected by the microscope, the par- 

 ties may be prosecuted under the 

 butter laws of the District of Colum- 

 bia. 



Dr. Taylor here stated that already 

 seven convictions had been made 

 under his testimony, and in no case 

 had he sanctioned a prosecution, 

 unless he found an abundance of 

 lard or beef fat crystals, or other 

 foreign fats in the substance. Dr. 

 Taylor further said that the parties 



