The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1879-05-30
BOGUS BUTTER.
A Scientist Turns his Microscope on
OlrOmargarine.
From Cleveland Herald

A Scientist Turns his Microscope on
OlrOmargarine.
From Cleveland Herald
Not many weeks since the Herald gave
its readers in epitOmiZed form the sub
stance of an article to the American
Journal of Microscopy, by Prof J. Ed
wards Smyth, of this city, upon the sub
ject of Oleomargarine. The article a.
bOve referred to gave the results of Prof
Smiths examination of three samples of
oleomargarine, obtained by a friend in
New York city. Since that time a rep
resentative of this paper called upon Prof
Smith at his office, in the rear of the
Homeopathic Hospital College, on Pros
pect street, where he found the distin-
guished gentleman busily engaged in
microscopic investigation. The Prof.
expressed himself willing to give the
Herald the benefit of his examination
of the subject.
This article in the Journal of Mi
croscopy," said he, twas called out by a
previous article by Prof. Michel's upon
the same subject, which had been at
tackled by several well-known scientific
men. l was determined, therefore, to
repeat Prof Michel's experiments, and
test for myself the correctness of his
conclusions"
but has it not been asserted by
some one that it is impossible to de
tect any difference between OleOmarg-
arine and pure dairy butter by means
of the microscope?''
ayes, sir. A professor in Yale College,
replying to Prof. Michel's article, made
the reckless assertion that it was impOs-
sible to detect any difference between
OleOmargarine and pure butter by mi
croscopic investigation. But that is the
way with good many of these fellows
that do not know anything about micro
scOpy. They make reckless assertions
and jump at conclusions"
Have you the samples of the oleOmar-
garine here, that l may see them ?"
l was just looking to see if could
not show them to you. Yes, have
here two of the samples of oleOmargarine
'The greatest danger, think, ex-
planned in the article already copied in
the Herald. 1t is that much of the
oleomargarine manufactured from refuse
animal fats, in the manner described by
Prof. Mlchels and at temperature not
above 40 deg. Fair, may be a highway
through which eggs of animals, larVa of
bees, etc, find their way into the s:om
achs of men,
what are these little animals likeg'
"They are found in many forms and
are known by the name of entOzOa 1t
| is found by myriads in the intestines of
many animals, and are only killed by a
heat of 100 deg. Fair, which eleOmar-
garine is not subject to. When the eggs
of these worms reach the stOmachs of
men the embryo Is liberated, and after
and one sample of pure butter"
The Prof. then handed down two tin
cans, one which contained two samples
OF the oleomargarine and one of butter
From the first box he took as much of
the OleOmargarine as would cover the
point of a penknife, and placing it upon
glass slide prepared it for examination
There were a number of feathery crys-
tals(margarsne)and number of crystals
of nitrate of soda to be seen on the
side, but the greatest difference between
the Oleomargine and the butter was the
feathery crystals in the former and the
fatty globules in the latter.
what is the greatest danger from
the use Of OleOmargine
penetrating the mucous membrane it
burrows its way or is carried by the
blood current to some distant organ,
where it is lodged, but presently reap
pears as a hydatid vesicle"
TO what extent is OleOmargarine
used ~
THAT I cannot say. 1 should, how
ever, be very loath to eat any butter in
the cheap eating houses of any city of
the size OF Cleveland. / hear that in
New York it is manufactured in i'm
| mense quantities, and sold to dealers,
| who mix it with pure butter, and sell it
as such The samples received were
all labeled as the law required The
| men who buy it and mix it with other
butter are the ones who should be pun
ished. There is a great deal TO be said
and written about this matter-much
more than you could give in one article,
and am glad to find the Herald ready
to inform the people of things so impOr-
tant for them to know, and of which
many are so ignorant"