134 MILK [vn 



it, soon became, under the altered conditions of 

 manufacture, an article to be viewed with suspicion. 

 This suspicion was further increased by the reflection 

 that the larger part of the raw material from which 

 it was manufactured in the margarine factories was 

 imported from America and Australia, viz. from 

 sources not under control. In this way, it is not 

 impossible that certain kinds of infectious diseases 

 may be propagated by its use ; and badly prepared 

 margarine may possibly contain the spores of animal 

 parasites originally present in the fat constituting 

 the raw material, and may thus be introduced into 

 the human system. Since, in the preparation of the 

 article, only a comparatively low temperature can 

 be used, these organisms may very easily escape 

 destruction. Lastly, among the least serious objec- 

 tions which can be urged against the use of margarine 

 made from plant fats is the fact that they are less 

 easily digested than animal fats. 



There can be no doubt that during the early years 

 of the trade much of the margarine made was far 

 from a desirable article; and while the manufac- 

 turers of butter might naturally feel aggrieved at 

 having, as a rival of butter, an article which, in 

 many cases was of an inferior nature, yet, so long as 

 the article was sold in a fairly legitimate manner, 

 they had no recourse but to put up with it. The 

 case was altered, however, when this same article 



