20 OLEOMARGARINE AND BUTTERINE. 



tion began, and I have no reason to doubt that it is true. The imitations are so cleverly dis- 

 guised, and come to the markets in tubs and firkins so exactly modeled after those used by 

 legitimate dairymen, that housekeepers are careful to deal only with establishments that are 

 above suspicion. 



" I have seen an abstract of the Dairy Commissioner's report, in which he says that scien- 

 tific experiments have proved conclusively that oleomargarine is indigestible, and much less 

 soluble than natural butter. If this be true, it seems to me that future legislation on the sub- 

 ject can have but one object its entire prohibition. I do not think that any court has yet 

 decided upon the question as to whether oleomargarine is wholesome or not, and I hope that 

 this issue will be speedily raised. If the Legislature or Congress takes any action looking to a 

 thorough scientific test, I would suggest that care be taken, in procuring samples for the test, 

 that goods already on the market for sale should be selected. The manufacturers are shrewd 

 and wily, and would not hesitate, if the opportunity offered, to furnish specimens of their 

 product that would consist very largely of genuine butter. When the stuff first made its 

 appearance, there is good reason to believe that samples were sent to chemists for analysis 

 that had been especially prepared for their benefit. Let the new tests be made on the product 

 as actually sold." 



PATENTS AND METHODS OF MANUFACTURE. 



It is the claim of the manufacturers of sham butter that the product they foist upon a too 

 corrfiding public contains no ingredients calculated to injure the public health. That this 

 claim is unfounded may be plainly seen by reference to the appended list of patents for oleo- 

 margarine processes, which were first brought to the attention of the public by Commissioner 

 of Agriculture Colman. By a careful perusal of these it will be seen that in nearly all of 

 these patents the ingredients are animal fat, lactic acid, peanut oil, almond oil, olive oil, soda, 

 pepsin, cottonseed oil, slippery elm bark, saltpetre, borax, coloring matters of various kinds, 

 salicylic acid, benzoic acid, caustic soda, butyric ether, glycerine, annoto, orris root, sunflower 

 oil, and other equally inviting articles. No one of the processes contains all the articles 

 I have enumerated, of course; but I, for one, would not knowingly take the risk of eating 

 any one of them on my bread. If there is no other ground upon which restrictive legislation 

 could be based such is the damage done to one of our most important national industries, 

 and to our national reputation abroad the preservation of the public health from the 

 injurious effects of such articles as I have enumerated should be of itself quite sufficient. 



Here are some of the patents that have been granted within the past ten years, as shown 

 "by a paper read by Commissioner Colman before the National Butter, Cheese, and Egg Asso- 

 ciation in Chicago recently : 



In 1875 a patent was granted to Garrett Codine, of New York, for a method of making 

 artificial butter from sour milk, animal fat, lactic acid, peanut oil, almond oil, and olive oil ; 

 also to John P. Kinney, from animal fat, soda ash, and salt. 



Patent to Hippolyto Mege, 1878. Fats of all animals reduced by novel methods ; oleo- 

 margarine mixed with milk, combined with bi-carbouate of soda and pepsin from prepared 

 cows' udders, coloring matter added and churned. 



Patent to G. H. Webster, Chicago, 111., 1882. Lard, buttermilk, tallow, and pepsin, 

 mixed with half its weight of pure butter, then worked with the hands until attaining the con- 

 sistency of butter. 



Patent to S. F. Cochrane, Massachusetts, 1882. Compound to be used in place of butter 

 and lard for cooking purposes ; " gall and kidney beef suets," lard, cottonseed oil, and ground 

 slippery elm bark. 



Patent to Alfred Springer, Cincinnati, O., for artificial batter, 1877. Method of treating 

 animal fats by mixing with salt, saltpetre, borax, boracic acid, salicylic acid, and benzoic < 



