Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-08-30
The Butter.GlObule.

Some writers who have not given the
subject the attention it deserves persist in
ridiculing any discussion of the question,
whether the butter globule of cream has a
membranous envelope or not, as of no prac-
tical consequence. In the first place all
truths are useful either in themselves or as
illustrating other truths but the ascertain
ment of the facts in this particular case are
especially useful, because rules of dairy
practice have been avowedly based upon the
notion that the butter.globules have an en-.
velope that must be broken before they can
be made to unite and form butter,-that is,
before the butter will come. This argu-
ment has been the strong tower of those
writers who contend that not only can no
first-class butter be made of sweet cream,
but that no full yield can be got from it,
because Ghey say the cream must be al
lowed to sour in order to weaken the men,
branous coat of the globule; while no less
an authority in dairy matters than Profess
sor Arnold once said at a dairymen's meet
ing at Essex Junction, VT, that the old dash
churn, with a close-ftting dasher, was the
best churn, because the friction of the dasher
helped to peel off the coating of the globule.
1t is well known now that the best of but
ter in full quantity is made from sweet
cream and also that the best churns of all
are plain boxes with nothing like dasher
about them.
1t is now upwards of twenty years since
we gave special attention to this SUBJ
ject, and made series of microscopal
and chemical Investigations, with the view
of reaching the bottom facts. In addition
to this, careful study of the physiological
facts connected with the secretion of milk
was made. The result of these investiga-
tions and this study was perfectly conclu-
sive in demonstrating that the milk globule
neither has nor can have any investing
membrane or covering whatever. Since
various fats have been artifcially made,
which so exactly resemble in the appearance
of their fat globules the natural emulsion
which we call cream, as to furnish another
very striking confirmation of the fact as
otherwise demonstrated.
1t has been very difficult in the face of the
opposition raised both by men calling them
selves experts and by others who were in
capable of perceiving the connection be-
tween true theory and intelligent practice,
to get the truth in this matter accepted.
Apparently one authority was as good as
the other. But now we understand that
Mr.. Arnold repudiates the envelope doc
trine, and advocates the view he formerly
opposed, while Mr.. Bliss has reached the
region of doubt, and only Mr.. 1inkham
continues to think, with Toots, that "it is
of no consequence"
In this connection we think it well to
make an extract from an article in the Sep
tember A griculturisi, written by Mr.. Arnold's
associate, Professor G. G.. Caldwell of Cor
nell University, entitled "Why Does the
Butter Gomez" Professor Caldwell says
"The oldest theory of any Importance, and
one that is familiar to many is that each
little globule Of fat is enclosed in an envelope
or sac of albuminous matter, and that as
long as these sacs are whole the globules of
fat will not stick together any more than
will two pats of butter nicely wrapped up
in cloth, or two sausages in their skins ;
but these sacs are supposed to be very thin
and tender, and are TO be weakened by
acids, and that when they are knocked to-
gether especially in the acid cream, their
envelopes soon get worn through or torn,
and the fat escapes and naturally collects
together, while the remains of the delicate
sacs in the buttermilk make it turbid. This
explanation is generally attributed to a
Frenchman, who announced it in 1912; it
looks plausible, for it appears to explain
many Of the phenomena satisfactorily but
the one most serious difficulty with il is
that SO many eminent microscopists have
searched for these sacs or parts of them,
without being able to identify them. When
we find all who have the necessary expert
ence to enable them TO understand correctly
what they see with it, uniting in the dec
laration that, according to the best Of their
knowledge, the fat globules are not encased
in membranous sacs, we can safely affirm
that the theory lacks its most essential
foundation stone."