188
Colouring
of Vanaspati Ghee
3. In all the above instances, the death-rate in winter was significantly higher than in summer.
4. The great bulk of the deaths occurred during the first two months of life.
5. The animal husbandry and meteorological conditions at the two centres are described. The
meteorological data are discussed in relation to the mean monthly death-rates.
6. Reference is made to certain important points in prevention of calf mortality. These relate to :
the grouping of young calves, feeding of the pregnant dam and length of her dry period, and nutrition
of the young calf in respect of colostrum and vitamins.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thanks are due to Mr Mehar (Secunderabad) and Major Murari (Lahore) for providing the data
relating to the Farms, and to the India Meteorological Department for sending the climatological
figures. I am also greatly indebted to my colleagues. Dr S. N. Ray and Mr Suprakas Sen the former
has given me. valuable, advice and the. latter undertook the statistical analyses.
REFERENCES
Aycock, W. L.Lutman, G. E. and Foley. G. E. (1945). Amer. J. Med. Sci. 209, 395
Brown, W. H. (1929). Arch. Int. Med. 44, 625
Keener, H. A., Bechdel. S. I., Guerrant. N. B. and Thorp. W. T. S. (1942). J. Dairy Sci. 25, 571
Jordan, L. (1933) Vet.J. 80, 202
Lovell, R. and Bradford Hill, A. (1940) J. Dairy Res. 11, 225
Lundquist, N. S. and Phillips. P. H. (1943) J. Dairy Sci. 11. 1023
Aliuelt, F. C. (1944). Indian J. vet. Sci. 14, 75
Moore. L. A. and Berry, M. H. (1944). J.Dairy Sci. 27, 867
Savage. E. S. and McCay, C. M. (1942). J. Dairy Sci. 25, 595
Stewart, J. and McCallum. J. W. (1938). J. Comp. Path. 51, 290
Stewart, J. and McCallum. J. W. (1938a). J. Agr. Sci. 28, 428
Vinattieri, E.. Hayward, A. H. S., and Artioli. D. (1945). Vet. Res. 57, 509
Watson. M. (1937). J. Hygiene 37, 420
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Wing. H. H. (1933). Cornell Unic. Agr. Exp. Sta. Bull. 576
COLOURING OF VANASPATI GHEE
By AMAR NATH PURI and VED RATTAN, University Institute of Chemistry, Lahore
Received for publication on 15 March 1946)
S OMETIME ago the Punjab Government in response to the public demand for the prevention of adnl-
teration of ghee enacted legislation rendering it compulsory for the manufacturers and dealers of
vanaspati ghee to colour their product. The object of this legislation was to render the adulteration
of natural ghee with vanaspati impossible, as any such adulteration would at once be detected by
the colour. The passing of the bill gave rise to much controversy but it eventually became law.
Soon afterwards, however. a grave difficulty arose regarding the most suitable colour to use. It
was conceded on all hands that the dye recommended should have the following properties :
1. It should have no harmful effect on human beings, immediate or cumulative.
2. It should have a pleasing shade.
The only dye which seemed to satisfy both these conditions appeared to be Orange E and this
was suggested. However. before this dye could be taken up for colouring ghee, evidence was submit-
ted by certain individuals which threw some doubt on the absolutely harmless character of this
dye. The only course which appeared logical at this juncture was to carry out physiological experi-
ments to decide the issue. While the Government was looking for facilities for such experiments
the senior author formulated a scheme of research work to elucidate information on the following
points :—
1. What is the entire range of possible dyes that can be used for colouring artificial ghee irres-
pective of their physiological effect ?
2. Which of those dyes are stable under the usual simple treatment to which a coloured ghee
could be submitted ?