NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
F. C. MINETT
129
RELATION BETWEEN DEATH-RATE AND WEATHER CONDITIONS
The meteorological data have been inspected in relation to the monthly death-rate set out in
Table I and Fig. 3. For simplicity, the climatic means shown in Fig. 3 are for the whole period of the
enquiry.
FIG. 3. Secunderabad. Birth and death-rates in cow and buffalo calves, by months. Relation to climati c
means.
Air temperature, (g) Mean daily maximum. There is no evident relationship with the mortality
in cow or buffalo calves. Thus in January to June the temperature is high and most of the time rising,
while the deaths are high in January-March (except January. with the buffaloes) and low in April-
June. From July-December the temperature is more or less level. while the death-rate is definite-
ly lower in July-September than in October-December.
(b) Mean daily minimum. There is an inverse relationship with mortality.
Relative humidity. There is no clear relationship. Thus, while in January, July-September
the R.H. is high, the death-rate is high in January (except again with buffaloes) and low in
July-September. In March-May, the R.H. is low, while the death-rate is high in March and low
in April and May.
130
Mortality in Young Calves in India
Rainfall. The relationship with death-rate is inverse. The only exception is that in October,
although the mean total rainfall is 2.06 in., the deaths are high. The rainfall is well distributed
throughout the year, not exceeding on an average 1 in. in a day.
Wind velocity. The relationship with death-rate is inverse. Thus in May-September the velo-
city is above five miles per hour, and the mortality low, in January-March and October-December
it is the converse.
Wind direction. In December-April this is most commonly from the SE in June-
September the prevailing wind is from the NW and in October and November from the
NE.
Thus, at Secunderabad, an enhanced death-rate is associated with a lower mean minimum tem-
perature, a low rainfall and a low wind velocity. All these factors are coincident with winter months,
but it seems most unlikely that any of them are directly concerned. Thus, the minimum temperature
is never low—the Meteorological Department has been good enough to inform me that on on 40
occasions during the seven years 1938-1944, has the absolute minimum been 50°F. or below and never
less than 46°F. It is also difficult to see how lack of rain and relatively calm conditions can be directly
responsible ; if anything and assuming sufficient exposure, the opposite would be expected.
AIRFIELD
This may be described as a cattle yard rather than a farm, since there are no pastures available
for grazing, the animals being fed on cut berseem or green oats in the winter and maize or jowar in
summer. This is given to both dry and. milking stock. No buffaloes are kept. The average strength
of cattle, mostly Friesian-Sahiwals, from 1939 to 1944 was :—
1939
.
.
.
.
1940 . . . .
1941
.
.
.
.
1942
.
.
.
.
1943
.
.
.
.
1944
.
.
.
.
Bulls
4
4
4
3
4
4
Female adults
241
249
266
238
184
187
Young stock
100
17
38
65
55
83
Calves
90
76
50
69
49
61
Milking is carried out twice and in some cases thrice daily. The proportion of animals usually in
milk is high, e.g. when the yard was visited in February 1945, there were 237 cows of which 72 per
cent were in milk.
Calf husbandry. Calves are kept-with the dam for four days, as this is not thought to interfere
with her subsequent milk yield. They are then put in a pen intended for accommodating calves up
to three months old. Actually, the very young calves, i.e. up to a week or so, are kept in a separate
compartment from the older ones. The pen is 60×40 ft., has a southerly aspect, and a brick and
concrete floor. The northern half has a thatched roof and there is some tree shade in the uncovered
part. At the time of inspection, it was holding 35 calves. A similar pen is provided for calves over
three months old. The compartment used for the very young calves is cold in winter, but at this
season it. is screened off with curtains, the calves are covered with gunny bags, and bedding (usually
rice straw) is provided. After the colostral period the calves get mixed milk, etc. as at Secunderabad.
Calves are fed twice daily and the very young ones get individual feeding. The mean weight at birth
of 100 calves born in 1943-1944 was 54 lb.
F.
C.
MINETT
131
SICKNESS AND MORTALITY
One trouble noted with the calves is a certain degree of hairlessness, especially around the neck
and brisket, but this clears up quickly with green feeding. Birth-rate and mortality figures for the
cow calves are shown in Table IV and Fig. 1. These show that of 526 females born during six years.
TABLE IV
Airfield. Births and deaths in cow calves up to one year of age
Month
January . .
february . .
march . .
April . .
May . .
Jane . .
July . .
August . .
September . .
October . .
November . .
December .
Annual totals
1939
10
7
0
2
6
1
14
15
7
14
26
17
119
(2)
1
0
0
3
0
1
0
0
2
3
2
1
13 (10.9)
1940
(1)
13
7
13
3
9
5
6
4
7
9
19
13
108
(2)
0
1
0
1
0
2
4
1
4
3
1
1
18 (16.7)
1941
(1)
8
10
2
0
2
1
3
2
3
15
3
15
64
(2)
8
10
3
1
0
1
1
0
0
1
0
7
32 (50.0)
1042
(1)
10
10
5
3
2
6
2
7
8
4
5
8
76
(2)
8
2
0
1
1
2
3
3
4
2
0
0
26 (34.2)
1043
(1)
7
8
4
4
0
5
1
1
2
9
2
30
73
(2)
4
1
0
1
2
0
0
0
0
1
1
5
15 (20.5)
1044
(1)
6
3
0
0
4
6
2
12
16
12
12
13
86
(2)
4
3
0
1
0
0
1
0
3
3
4
2
21 (24.4)
Totals
(1)
60 (11.4)
46 (8.6)
24 (4.6)
12 (2.3)
23 (4.4)
24 (4.6)
28 (5.3)
41 (7.7)
43 (8.2)
63 (11.9)
67 (12.7)
96 (18.3)
526
(2)
25 (20.0)
17 (13.6)
3 (2.4)
8 (6.4)
3 (2.4)
6 (4.8)
9 (7.2)
4 (3.2)
13 (10.4)
13 (10.4)
8 (6.4)
16 (12.8)
125 (23.8)
(1) Births. (2) Deaths.
Figures in brackets indicate percentages. In the ' totals 'columns the numbers of births and deaths art expressed respectively 21
the percentages of the total births and deaths.
Under' Annual totals ' deaths are given as percentages of births.
TABLE V
Airfield. Assumed cause of death and age at death of cow calves dying within three months after
births. April 1939 to March 1944
Age in weeks
0— . . . .
1—
.
.
.
.
2—. . . .
3—
.
.
.
.
4—
.
.
.
.
5—. . . .
6—. . . .
7—. . . .
8—
.
.
.
.
9— . . . .
10— . . . .
11— . . . .
12— . . . .
Pneumonia
1
8
4
1
8
. .
4
1
3
1
2
1
. .
34 (31.5)
Gastro-
enteritis.
hepatitis,
peritonitis
6
9
15
. .
1
. .
2
. .
3
. .
. .
. .
1
37 (34.2)
Foot-and-mouth
disease
. .
. .
2
2
3
2
. .
. .
1
. .
. .
. .
1
11 (10.2)
Theileriasis
. .
2
1
2
4
1
. .
1
3
. .
. .
. .
2
16 (14.8)
Miscellaneous*
2
. .
2
1
3
. .
. .
. .
2
. .
. .
. .
. .
10 (9.3) =108
* Comprises weak or premature births, heat stroke, toxaemia, etc.
Figures in the brackets indicate percentages of total.
O
132
Mortalily in Young Calves in India
the mean percentage death-rate was 23.8 (range 10.9—50.0), a figure nearly like that for cow calves
at Secunderabad over practically the same period. The mortality was higher from September to
February than at other times, with maxima of 20.0 and 13.6 per cent in January and February and
minima of 2.4 and 3.2 per cent in March, May and August. The difference between the mean per-
centage deaths for September to February and for the rest of the year is highly significant. Table V
shows that pneumonia and intestinal troubles were responsible for a nearly equal number of deaths,
totalling 65.7 per cent of all deaths. Apart from this. 14.8 and. 10.2 per cent were attributed to
theileriasis and foot-and-mouth disease, respectively.
FIG. 4. Airfield. As in Fig. 3. Cow calves only
Most of the deaths occurred in the first month ; this was so particularly with the intestina
upsets.
F.C. MINETT
133
RELATION BETWEEN DEATH-RATE AND WEATHER CONDITIONS
The data in Table IV and Fig. 4 have been inspected with the meteorological data.
Air temperature. Mean daily maximum and minimum. There is an inverse relationship with.
death-rate.
Relative humidity. There is some direct relationship with death-rate. Thus, in December-
February the RH and death-rate are high, whereas in April-June both are low. But in August and
November, the RH is high and the death-rate low, suggesting that the apparent direct relationship
is due to some other cause than humidity.
Rainfall. There is no clear relationship. Thus, in March-May both rainfall and deaths are low,
but in October and December in the absence of rain the death-rate is high. Again, in January,
February and September a rainfall of 1-2 in. is associated with a high mortality-rate, but in June-
August with a much heavier rainfall the death-rate is low. The rainfall is well distributed throughout
the year, not exceeding on. an average 1 in. in a day.
Wind velocity. There is a tendency for the relationship to be inverse, The wind velocity, how-
ever, is fairly uniform throughout the year, at 1.1 to 3.1 miles per hour. The death-rate is low from
March-August when the velocity varies from 2.0-3.1 m.p.h., and high in September-February (except
November) when the wind velocity is 1.1-2.4 m.p.h.
Wind direction. From December-April the prevailing wind is from the NE and NW, in June-
September from the SE.
Thus at Airfield, lower mean air temperatures are the only factors showing any satisfactory rela-
tionship with death-rates and this relationship is of a negative order. If anything it is no doubt the
minimum temperature that could be chiefly concerned, since this can be very low in the Punjab.
DRY PERIOD FOR COWS AT THE TWO CENTRES
This is shown in Table VI as a frequency distribution. Although the total numbers of animals
at the two centres are not quite comparable, there is a suggestion that at Airfield the length of dry
period is more in accordance with good dairying practice. At neither centre, however, can the dry
periods be considered satisfactory, for instance, with cows in western countries calving at twelve-
month intervals a dry period of eight weeks is aimed at.
TABLE VI
Dry period of cow at Secunderabad and Airfield
Dry period (days)
0— . . . .
50— . . . .
100— . . . .
150— . . . .
200—
.
.
.
.
250— . . . .
300 or more . . . .
Number of animals
Secunderabad
11(12.2)
23(25.6)
21(23.3)
11(15.6)
6(6.7)
4(4.4)
11(12.2)
90
Airleld
4(4.0)
42(41.6)
19(18.8)
9(8.9)
4(4.0)
6(5.9)
17(16.8)
101
Figures in brackets indicate porecutages of total.
C 2
134
Mortality in Young Calves in India
TABLE VII
Meteorological data
––
Janu-
ary
Febru-
ary
March
April
May
June
July
August Septem-
ber
October Novem-
ber
Desem-
ber
Rainfall
(l)
(2)
(a)
.
.
.
.
(b) . . . .
(c)
.
.
.
.
. . . . .
0.20
0.15
0.17
1.20
0.10
0.20
0.83
1.14
0.25
0.85
0.96
0.87
1.11
0.86
0.94
0.60
1.05
1.08
0.95
0.50
4.52
4.90
5.04
2.15
5.38
5.16
5.12
3.55
4.53
4.72
4.24
3.41
4.96
5.77
5.60
1.75
2.06
2.58
0.05
0.36
0.35
0.38
0.00
0.03
0.02
0.02
0.31
Maximum temperature
(1)
(2)
(a)
.
.
.
.
(b)
.
.
.
.
(c)
.
.
.
.
. . . .
85.5
86.0
85.6
66.4
89.9
89.8
89.8
71.7
97.3
96.6
96.2
82.0
101.2
101.0
100.8
94.6
103.2
103.6
103.6
105.0
94.8
94.1
95.0
101.4
87.1
86.5
86.8
98.4
86.2
86.5
86.6
97.4
86.4
86.4
86.6
96.7
88.8
88.2
88.5
94.5
86.2
85.8
86.0
84.5
Minimum temperature
(1)
(2)
(a)
.
.
.
.
(b)
.
.
.
.
(c) . . . .
. . . .
59.4
59.8
59.6
41.3
62.5
63.3
62.8
46.6
69.9
69.8
69.5
54.9
76.5
76.3
76.3
64.8
80.7
80.6
80.7
74.7
76.4
75.8
76.4
79.6
73.3
73.1
73.4
80.9
72.6
72.6
72.7
80.1
71.9
71.9
72.0
74.4
67.9
68.0
68.4
62.6
61.8
61.3
61.9
49.9
84.8
84.6
81.7
70.7
57.4
56.6
57.1
42.2
Relative humidity
(1)
(2)
(a)
.
.
.
.
(b)
.
.
.
.
(c)
.
.
.
.
. . . .
77
77
78
94
66
68
69
88
52
35
56
71
55
55
56
53
52
52
53
43
74
76
75
57
83
83
83
78
81
83
83
80
81
75
73
75
71
75
76
72
72
72
71
82
71
76
77
95
Wind velocity
(1)
(2)
(a) . . . .
(b)
.
.
.
.
(c) . . . .
. . . .
3.7
3.7
3.9
1.6
3.9
3.9
4.1
2.4
4.0
4.0
4.3
2.8
4.3
4.2
4.4
2.9
5.8
5.7
5.9
2.8
9.0
9.1
9.3
3.0
10.9
10.8
11.5
3.1
9.1
8.8
9.5
2.5
6.1.
0.7
6.1
2.0
4.2
4.3
4.3
1.3
4.1
4.0
4.2
1.1
3.3
3.5
3.7
1.2
(1) (a) for Bcguiupel (Sceunderabad), December 1938 to November 1913 (for Table II).
(1) (b)
, January 1938 to Dceomber 1944(for Table I—cow calves).
(1) (c)
. January 1939 to December 1944 (for Table I—buffalo calves).
(2) For Lalore (Airfield), January 1939 to December 1944 (for Table IV).
140
Colouring of Vanaspati Ghee
TABLE I
Bleaching chart of the natural dyestuff
Dyestuff
Ratanjot . .
Kashmiri mirch
Turmeric . .
Spinach chloro-
phyll
Kamala extract
Percentage
used
0.025 per
cent Crude
dye
0.5 per cent
Red cover
only
0.5 per cent
6 per cent
0.2 per cent
Colour
components
Red
14
Yellow
2.8
Red
10
Yellow 13
Blue
3
Yellow 23
Yellow 29
Red
3
Bleaching by absorption
Activated
charcoal
66 per cent
bleached (0.4
per cent
60 per cent in
1 hour (1.5
per cent)
100 per cent
by (0.6 per
cent)
100 per cent
by (0.4 per
cent)
100 per cent
by 1 gm.
Ordinary
charcoal
5 per cent (1
per cent)
nil
30 per cent by
(0.4)
Blue 100 per
cent Yellow
60 per cent
by (6 per cent
nil
Fuller's
earth
75 per cent
(1 per cent)
nil
92 per cent
by (4 per
cent)
100 per cent
by (8 per
cent)
nil
Heating
80 per cent Red
colour off in 8
hours at 150°C.
100 per cent blea-
ched in 1 hour at
150°C.
92 per cent in 6
hours at 150°C
Blue 100 per cent
Yellow 60 per cent
in 2 hours at
150ºC.
nil at 150°C.
Light
95 per cent blea-
ched in
12
hours
In 6 hours
100 per cent in
3 per cent
Blue 100 per cent
bleached in 15
mt.
nil
Aeration
nil
nil
nil
Blue 66 per cent
bleached in 3
hours.
nil
Washing
H2SO4
44 per
cent
nil
nil
nil
nil
HCl
44 per
cent
nil
nil
nil
nil
Na2CO3
Colour changes to
different shades
nil
100 per cent in 2
washing
nil
25 per cent in first
wash, 13 per cent
in 2nd wash and
12 per cent in
3rd wash
AMAR NATH PURI AND VED RATTAN 141
TABLE II
Bleaching churt, of artificial
dyestuffs
Dyestufis
Edicol
Oil
Orange
AS
Oil Yellow AG
Oil Green 33707
Oil Green Saco
Oil Green B. Y.
Oil Orange Saco
Oil Orange E
Butter Yellow
Oil Red Saco
Percentage
used
0.025
0.025
0.038
0.025
0.3
0.025
0.025
33 per cent
by volume
0.025
per
cent
Colour
components
Red 8 Yellow
Excess
Yellow 30
Blue 8
Yellow
14
Blue 5
Yellow
14
Blue
8
Yellow Exe-
cess
Red
4.5
Yellow
30
Red
8
Yellow
30
Red 5 Yellow
Excess.
Red
25
Yellow 7
Max. Bleaching by absorption
Activated
charcoal
88 per cent by
2 gm. in 100
c.c.
100 per cent
by 2 gm. in
100 c.c.
100 per cent
by 4 gm. in
100 c.c.
100 per cent
by 1.6 gm.
in 100 c.c.
100 per cont
by 2 gm. in
100 c.c.
80 per cent by
1.6 gm. in
100 c.c.
75 per cent by
1.6 gm. in
100 c.c.
80 per cent by
1.6 gm.
in
100 c.c.
100 per cent
by 1.6 gm.in
100 c.c.
Ordinary
charcoal
25 per cent by
2 gm. in 100
c.c.
36 per cent by
16 gm. in 100
c.c.
nil
nil
nil
nil
20 per cent by
3 gm. in 100
c.c.
10 per cent by
12 gm.in 100
c.c.
20
per
cent
by 12 gm. in
100 c.c.
Fuller's
earth
18 per cent
by 2 gm. in
100 c.c.
97 per cent
by 5 gm. in
100 c.c.
No effect on
blue 60 per
cent.
Yel-
low by 12
gm. in 100
c.c.
nil
nil
nil
12 per cent
by 3 gm.
in 100 c.c.
10 per cent
by 12 gm.
in 100 c.c.
nil
Heating
17 per cent in 1.5
hrs. at 250°C.
60 per cent in 3 his.
at 300°C.
For 1 hour at 300
blue 100 per cent,
Yellow
60
per
cent off
100 per cent in 2½
hours at 300°C.
100 per cent on
blue in 1 hour
at 30 C.
100 per cent in 1½
hours at 250°C.
88 per cent in 2½
hours at 250°C.
Red 80 per cent in
1st 15 minutes at
300 c.c.
Red 100 per cent
in 12 minutes at
250°C.
Light
nil
nil
nil
nil
nil
nil
nil
nil
nil
Aeration
nil
nil
nil
nil
nil
nil
nil
nil
nil
Washing
H O
nil
nil
Change
in co-
lour
Change
in
colour
Colour
changes
nil
nil
nil
nil
HCl
nil
100 per
cent in
first
wash
nil
nil
Colour
changes
nil
nil
nil
nil
Na2CO3
nil
nil
nil
nil
nil
nil
nil
nil
nil
D 2
AMAR NATH PURI AND VED RATTAN 143
Relation between the amount of the dye and intensity of the colour (tintometric)
Crude dye (Method I)
0.01 per cent dilution in ghee
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
0.02 per cent dilution in
ghee.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
0.03 per cent dilutiou in
ghee.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
0.04 per cent dilution in
ghee.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
0.05 per cent dilution in ghee . . . . . . . . . .
Yellow
2.1
2.4
2.4
2.6
2.8
Red
3.5
5.6
8.0
11.0
14.0
2. Kashmiri mirch
Solub
of the fat-soluble dyes in Kashmiri mirch is studied in acetone, benzene, ether, carbon
t achloride and methyl alcohol. Methyl alcohol and benzene proved best solvents of the dye.
Preparation of the dye
Twenty-five grams of the thoroughly dried mirch coverings are powdered and thrice refluxed
with pure benzene. The benzene solution of the dye is concentrated over water bath to a semi-solid
state.
Relation between amount of dye and intensity of red component
10 per cent mirch
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
5 per cent
mirch.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
2.5 per cent
mirch.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
1.25 per cent
mirch.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
0.65 per cent
mirch.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
0.32 per cent
mirch.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Red
20
13
10
8
5
3
3. Turmeric (Corcuma longa Linn.)
(Curcuimin m. p.=179°C.)
Method of preparation
Two hundred grams of turmeric powder is well boiled with 70 per cent alcohol for two hours.
The residue left after filtration is again twice extracted like above. The filtrate was 200 ml but
still a big fraction of the dye is left unextracted in the residue.
The dye present in two litres filtrate is precipitated with 50 gm. of lead acetate. The lead salt
thus precipitated is well washed with alcohol and water. About 50 per cent of the dye is left behind
unprecipitated.
The lead salt of the dye is washed with water (hot) and it is suspended in hot water and decom-
posed by H 2 SO 4 till a fairly acid reaction is reached.
Lead sulphate thus produced and the dye are washed and the dye is extracted in 500 c.c. of
92 per cent alcohol. The lead sulphate is removed by filtration and the dye is concentrated to a
small bulk. This concentrated dye is poured in ether and kept overnight. Next day supernatent
portion is removed, concentrated over water bath and carbon di-sulphide is added and evaporated
to dryness (m.p.=162°C.)
144
On the Detection of Adulteration of Ghee
Relation between tintometric reading and the amount of curcumin dye
Turmeric
0.5 gm. in 100 c.c. ghee . . . . . . . . . .
0.35 „ „ . . . . . . . . . .
0.125 „ „ .. . . . . . . . . .
0.625
„
„ .. . . . . . . . . .
0.02 „ „ .. . . . . . . . . .
Bed
1
1
1
1
1
Yellow
13.0
10.3
8.3
7.0
4.0
4. Spinach (spinacia obracea Linn)
Method of extraction. Extract green spinach with dilute alcohol and evaporate to paste. Use
one part paste to 10 parts alcohol and filter or boil the juice and decant the greenish
id, press
the residue off from surplus liquid and extract the residue with alcohol. Filter and evaporate.
Take up the residue in hot water, the insoluble separating greenish mass is dissolved in HC1 and
finally precipitated with water.
Relation between intensity of the blue and yellow (green) components to the amount of chlorophyll present
10 per cent spinach
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
7.5 per cent spinach
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
5 per cent
spinach.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
2.8 per cent spinach
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
1.25 per cent
spinach.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Blue
5
3.7
2.5
1.3
0.6
Yellow
30
27
23
16
9
5. Kamala (Mellotus phillippinusis Linn.)
Extract was supplied by the Forest Research Institute, Dehra Dun.
Relation between the amount of Kamala extract and the tintometeric readings
0.4 gm. in 100 gm. of ghee . . . . . . . . . . .
0.2 gm. in 100 gm. of
ghee.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
0.1 gm. in 100 gm. of
ghee
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
0.05 gm. in 100 gm. of
ghee.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
0.025 gm. in 100 gm. of
ghee
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Yellow
Excess
29
14
7
3.5
Red
6.0
3.0
1.5
0.7
0.4
ON THE DETECTION OF ADULTERATION OF GHEE
By K. T. ACHAYA AND B. N. BANERJEE, Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science,
Bangalore
( Received for publication on 27 December 1945 )
(With one text-figure.)
T HE much-vexed question of the detection of adulteration of butterfat has been responsible
for a voluminous scientific literature in the course of the last century. It is a matter for regret,
therefore, that we are still without a safe criterion of purity for butterfat, and that the percentage of
adulterated ghee on the Indian market should be so extraordinarily high. Two obvious reasons
for the prevalence of this evil are that pure ghee is not of uniform composition and is subject to a
K. T. ACHAYA AND B. N.
BANERJEE
147
METHODS FOR THE DETECTION OF ADULTERATION IN GHEE
In addition to several methods that have been recommended below, notice has also been taken
of a few procedures that have at one time or another been specified for the detection of the genuineness
or otherwise of butterfat.
The analytical constants of ghee. While in the west a correlation of the constants of butterfat
has been used for many years as by far the best standard of purity, with particular attention to the
delicate balance between the R.M., P.V. and Kirschner value, no attempt has been made in India
to indicate even the elements of such correlation other than a somewhat restricted attempt by Brahma-
chari [1927]. In fact, one Provincial Government has even gone so far as to assume that the same
R.M.-P.V. relationship holds good for both cow and buffalo ghee. a state of affairs far from the actual
case as shown below. Recent work by Achaya, Katrak and Banerjee [1946], which also made use
the published work on the analytical constants of Indian ghees where such figure available on indi-
vidual samples, has indicated the following average analytical interrelationship, which is strongly
recommended as a guide to provincial analysts and legislators.
TABLE II
The analytical constants for cow ghee
R.M.
21
24
27
30
33
P.V.
1.5
1.9
2.3
2.7
3.0
S.V.
218
221
224
227
230
I.V.
39
37
34
32
29
B.R.at40°C.
46.2
44.7
43.1
41.5
40.5
TABLE III
The analytical constants for baffalo ghee
R.M.
18
21
24
27
30
33
36
P.V.
0.6
0.8
1.0
1.3
1.6
1.8
2.0
S.V.
212
217
222
226
230
233
235
I.V.
37
36
34
32
30
28
26
B.R.at40°C.
44.9
44.2
43.7
43.2
42.7
42.1
41.5
E
148
On the Detection of Adulteration of Ghee
These relationships are exhibited along five axes in Fig. 1.
Fig. 1. Interrelationship between the constant of ghee
In support and confirmation of these figures, the averages obtained many years ago by
Hogan and Griffith-Jones [1916] for Egyptian buffalo milk fat may be quoted : R.M. 31.2, P.V. 1.5.
S.V. 229, I.V. 31.4, and B.R. (at 40°C.) 42.5 ; these tally with remarkable exactitude. While the
usefulness of further large-scale work to confirm and adjust the figures in the above tables are of
the first importance, the latter are sufficiently indicative of several observations. The Polenske,
iodine and R.I. values for buffalo ghee are striking, and with physical characteristics like colour and
flavour, set such ghee quite apart from cow ghee. It is therefore easy to see that a serious difficulty
in the actual use of these interrelationships would be the sale of mixed ghee, and from many points
of view it would be an advantage if admixture of cow with buffalo ghee were to be prevented by law.
and if producers were asked to label clearly the products they display. It becomes further necessary
to base a legal standard for purity not upon individual analytical maxima or minima but upon a
table of interrelationship such as the above, using if necessary only the R.M., P.V. and R.I. as routine
tests, with suitable limits of variation of the other constants with respect to each. say. R.M. value ;
this would result in the legal criterion for ghee taking the form not of straight-line graphs, as shown
in Fig. 1 but of bands of a thickness to be determined by statistical working up of many hundreds
of analyses of genuine ghee. The variations from normal naturally depend upon the quality of a
sample of ghee, and rancid, high-acid, moisture-bearing market products must be carefully sampled
before use. Many of the factors that upset the constants of ghee do so in a fashion that follows the
interrelationships shown in the tables, an increase of R.M., e.g. being usually counterbalanced by
a corresponding fall in I.V. Among such factors that are ' regular ' are : breed variations seasonal,
lactational and untritional variations; and some feeding stuffs like cottonseed meal and fish meal.