LARD AND LARD ADULTERATIONS 423 



(/>) Saponiftcation equivalent. The numbers are essentially the same 

 as those of the original glycerides. 



(c) Iodine number. The percentage of iodine absorbed by the stear- 

 ines is, as is to be expected from the fact that they contain less tri- 

 olein, markedly less than that of the original glycerides. The fact that 

 the stearines possess that property in this diminished degree is of quite 

 as much importance from an analytical point of view as their high 

 melting point. Thus the mixture of a stearine with a low iodine num- 

 ber with cotton oil of a high iodine number shows a percentage of 

 iodine absorption not greatly different from that of pure lard. One 

 prime oleo-steariue examined showed an iodine absorption of only 17.38 

 percent. Another oleo-stearine showed 26.81 per cent. The lard stear- 

 iues showed higher numbers, viz, in two cases 44.24 per cent, and 40.78 

 per cent. The cotton-oil stearines showed iodine numbers varying 

 from 85.28 per cent, to 99.39 per cent. 



(d) Reaction with nitrate of silver. The stearines react with nitrate of 

 silver in a manner entirely comparable with that of their original glyc- 

 erides. The colors, however, are not so marked nor the precipitate of 

 silver quite so abundant with cotton-oil stearines as with the oils them- 

 selves. 



(e) Microscopical appearances. Stearine derived from beef or mutton 

 tallow shows under the microscope the characteristic fan shaped crys- 

 tals already noticed. Lard stearine, on the other hand, gives crystal- 

 line groups similar to those already mentioned in the case of lard. 



(/) Moisture. Properly prepared stearine contains only a trace of 

 moisture. 



OTHER ADULTERANTS OF LARD. 



It has been claimed that other substances than those mentioned have 

 been used in the adulteration of lard, but these claims seem to rest on 

 no valid foundation. Among these substances, dead-hog grease or dead- 

 hog stearine is the one most frequently mentioned. The term dead-hog 

 grease is used to indicate the oil or lard obtained from animals which 

 die of disease, or are smothered in transportation, or die on the way to 

 the slaughtering houses. The fat of animals very recently dead, unless 

 death takes place from disease, and taken before any decomposition 

 sets in, has chemically the same characteristics as that derived from 

 animals slaughtered. If, however, the animals have been dead some 

 time before rendering a considerable decomposition of the glycerides 

 takes place and the amount of free acid in the fat is thus largely in- 

 creased. Such fat also shows a distinctly unpleasant odor, by which it 

 can readily be detected from genuine lard. Peanut oil and some other 

 vegetable oils have also been mentioned as adulterants of lard. While 

 it may be true that many attempts have been made to use the above 

 substances in the adulteration of lard on a small scale, it is also quite 



