ADULTERATION  OF   AMERICAN  LARD. 
249 
deoxidation  of  one  another — Ohem.  Gaz.,  Aug.  2,  1852,  from 
Bericht  der  AJcad.  der  Wissensch.  zu  Wien  Math.  Phys.  CI., 
Jan.  1852. 
ON  THE  ADULTERATION  OF  AMERICAN  LARD  IN  ENGLAND. 
By  F.  Grace  Calvert,  Esq. 
[Tn  a  short  communication  read  at  the  meeting  of  the  Pharmaceutical 
Society,  Dec.  8th,  1852,  Mr.  George  Whipple  states  "  That  he  had  for  some 
time  past  suspected  the  purity  of  commercial  lard,  and  had  recently  made 
a  few  experiments  -which  led  to  the  detection  of  large  quantities  of  some 
farinaceous  substance  in  it.  This  adulteration  was  discovered  in  the  dif- 
ferent varieties  of  lard — from  the  finest  bladder  to  the  common  firkin  lard. 
In  an  examination  of  the  contents  of  two  firkins  weighing  105 £  lbs.,  a 
quantity  of  farinaceous  substance,  amounting  to  22£  lbs.,  was  separated. 
The  contents  of  another  firkin,  weighing  43|  lbs.,  yielded  12|  lbs.  of  a 
similar  substance.  Mr.  Whipple  points  out  the  pernicious  effects  which 
this  adulteration  would  be  likely  to  produce  in  the  employment  of*  such  lard 
for  some  pharmaceutical  purposes,  and  the  danger  which  might  ensue  from 
its  application  to  machinery/-'  By  the  following  observations  of  Mr.  Cal- 
vert, this  adulteration  is  effected  in  England,  and  as  the  presence  of  the 
starchy  matter  is  easily  detected  with  iodine  water,  it  will  be  well  to  have  a 
care  that  the  adulteration  is  not  practiced  here  without  detection. — Ed.  Am. 
JOURN.  PHARM.] 
During  the  numerous  analyses  I  made  some  three  years  since 
of  various  articles  of  food  employed  in  public  establishments,  I 
analysed  several  samples  of  American  lard,  and  therefore  may 
add  to  the  fact  already  mentioned  by  Mr.  George  Whipple  in 
your  last  number,  that  I  found  them  to  contain,  in  addition  to 
starch,  from  10  to  12  per  cent,  of  water,  and  from  2  to  3  per 
cent,  of  alum,  and  about  one  per  cent,  of  quick  lime. 
A  few  months  ago  I  was  able  to  ascertain  that  the  operation 
is  conducted  in  the  following  manner  : 
The  fatty  matters,  such  as  they  arrive  from  America,  are 
melted  with  a  little  water  in  false-bottomed  copper  pans,  through 
which  circulates  a  current  of  steam.  The  dirt  and  other  hetoro- 
geneous  matters  fall  to  the  bottom  of  the  pans,  and  the  clear 
grease  is  allowed  to  run  into  a  wooden  vessel,  when  it  is  stirred 
in  contact  with  cold  water  ;  it  is  then  put  under  revolving  wheels, 
with  a  thick  paste  made  of  potato  starch,  mixed  with  a  little 
