The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1884-01-23
For the Primer AID Mechanic.
Artificial Butter, Milk, etc.

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Extracts Of papers read before the Mitchell
Scientific Society. At Chapel Hill, ~,
December 8, ISIS.
PAPER NUMBER ONE, BY PROF. vENABLE
Such wonderful progress has brsn
made 10 chemistry 10 the la, irw tecsIc-.
especially In the direction of 'iIe artificial
production of dyes. foods, etc, that the
credulous are beginning 10 think all
things possible TO the chemist, and TO
feel grave suspicious as TO the origin auu
nature Of everything they put 10 their
mouths. Recent developments really
seem 10 give some grounds for such su>-
pIcion~. For instance, we have for a
long time been accustomed to look upon
the COW as one of mans best friends.
She ha- furnished him mix and butter,
cheese and meat for his food, leather for
his clothing, tallow for his candles, hair
to make firm and strong his plastering,
bones to fertilIze his gardens, and horns
to handle the very knives with which her
life Is taken. Chemistry has entered a
decided protest against the monopoly OF
the COW In all these varied fields of USE
t~ulness. Let us zee how matters stand
between them at pr esent. First as to milk.
During the siege of Paris when milk vas
scarce the chemist struck upon what was
pronounced an excellent substitute, at
least in appearance. They took a little
cooking soda and water and almost any
oil or fat, SO thoroughly emulsifying tbs
the fat In the liquid that it was an accu-
rate in" itatlon Of fresh milk. Even UNI
der the microscope 10 difference could be
detected. If it was allowed to stand, =
nice iich layer of cream rose in time. vi
course such a liquid was almost destitute
Of the nutritive constituents Of milk,
though these also could be added if need
ed
Again in 1869 in France the first arti
fetal butter was made. 1t was then call
ed oleomargarine. Tallow, lard, suet or
any vegetable oil can be used, and true
milk or artificial milk. If carefully pre-
pared it is better han ordinary butter
though not SO good AZ the best. 1t IL
called low butterine or suine and only 4
lew years after its introduction, two and
a half million Of pounds were made every
week in the United States.
DR.. Lyon Playfair, in a speech before
Parliament, said he hoped soon to sec
very good cheese made without using
drop Of milk. They say it can be made
as follows: Caseine from peas and bean,
is mixed with fat from oleo- margarine and
a favor aud aroma is given by means OF
~cocoa-nut oil. Certainly the Chinese
have been making i. tor a long while
from peas and beans.
A recent committee Of scientific mer
examiug into the life, ETC., of vegetarians
found that an excellent imitation of bee
could be made from a certain admi1ture
of vegetables. mainly beans, ami sauces
Why not The chemical analysis Of legu.
min Of beans and the Dutriti,e portion oil
meat reveals them as very nearly the
same in composition.
Leather can be made with ease nov
from old cotton or wooden stuffs by felt,
ing them, then impregnating with linseed
oil and glycerine, drying and pressing.
The product eau be colCrcd and made
waterproof. This is only one " many
such patents
The bones ot the COW. one. so useful al
f%ertiliz rs, are substituted now by the
minerals coming from South Carolina,
Canad4, and Spain The charcoal, got.
ten by heating the bones in retorts and
used for refining sugar. can be substitu-
ted, though poorly. by charcoal from Tea,
or b%ituminous shales.
TaIlow-dips have had to make way for
parafh re and stearine now q Jays and
even cow-hair is often ialsc hair coming
from the rind of the c2ccanut or from
other vegetable sources.
Horn so far as combs and knife han
d es are concerned has had to give way
fn nranorapnS ~ rrhhar ,n1 n,tt.
pelcha In fac, glue making is about
the only industry 10 which the COW has
not been successfully rivalled.