The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1881-04-14
Bogus Butter.

Reminded OF the necessity OF such
a measure by suggestion of Col. Nc
Rae Mosby, we have said that a law
ought to be passed by the Mississippi
Legislature to prohibit the sale of
oleomargarine as genuine butter. The
following is the new Missouri act on the
subject
SECTION l. Whoever manufactures out
of any oleaginous substances, or any COM
pound of the same, other than produced
from unadulterated milk or cream from the
same, any article designed to take the place
of butter or cheese, produced from pure,
unadulterated milk, or cream from the
same or shall sell or offer for sale the same
as an article of food shall on conviction
thereof be confined in the county jail not
exceeding one year or fined not exceeding
81 900, or both.
The California Legislature at its last
session passed stringent law to suppress
this fraudulent trade, and it is well said
by the Examiner of San Francisco that
the public have a larger interest in this
subject than many are perhaps prepared
to believe. The money fraud is the
least evil of this bad business. Serious
revelations of the injurious and disgust
ing character of oleomargarine are CON
stantly being made elsewhere. 1t is the
opinion Of numbel OF Chicago physic-
ians, some of them Of high standing in
the profession, that the cholera, which
has prevailed in that and other large
cities during the past winter, is due
solely to the use of lard butter. 1t
should be remembered that the lard
which is used in this butter is not the
same as that which is employed for
ordinary household purposes. As COM
pared with the other, it is really raw
lard or tallow. The lard of commerce
is, in the process of rendering, subjected
to an intense heat, which DESTROYS lis
grain and makes its unfit for the pur-
poses of the butter-maker, but renders
it at the same time comparatively in
nocuous as an article of food The
process now is to take q certain number
of pounds of raw fat which has not
been subjected to high temperature,
and which still retains its grain, to
''neutralize" it, as it is called by de-
priving it of its natural smell and taste,
then to mix it with certain proportion
Of first-class creamery butter and to
add little milk and work it over The
product is one which it is almost impos-
'ible to distinguish from genuine butter
in appearance, in smell and in taste it is
1T least while fresh, an exact fac sin,ile |
Of the genuine article. The raw fat of
various kinds, some of which are dis
gushing, which enter into the compost |
ion of this artificial butter, is exceed
ngly indigestible. Even though it be,
what it seldom is, perfectly pure and
rec from animal life, it is much harder
or the stomach to deal with than with
ard which has been subjected to the
process of cooking. There is Just the
same difficulty in digestion between raw
alt pork and the same salt pork when
t has been cooked. Another danger
rom the use Of lard-butter is that it is
lpt to contain low forms of animal life,
he introduction of which into the
human system will cause Inflammation
f the stomach and intestines. and
'erhaps even more serious disorders.
Mississippi ought to follow the example
f other States and pass stringent law
o protect the public against this impure
nd disease-breeding compound known
5 oleomargarine, but often palmed off |
IS real butter.