Huntsville gazette., 1885-09-19
CoTToN-sEED OIL
Its Value as an Article Of Food In Europe
| and America-It rs Extensively Used as an


ITS Value as an Article Of Food in Europe
and America-It rs Extensively Used as an
Adulterant.
There is large market for the arti-
Gle in this city, and an establishment
where the refining process is carried
on. The oil is supplied to soapmakers,
lard refners, bakers. confectioners,
bottlers of olive oil, paint mixers,
screw cutters, manufacturers of putty,
butterine makers, etc., the material
reaching the consumer through all
these and other avenues of trade.
Special efforts have recently been made
to introduce it to the attention OF
bakers, an ) through the grocers and
butchers to households for use in
cooking. 1t is said to be preferred by
those who use it because it is pure
and wholesome article of food. about
which there is not, and can not be a
shadow of taint of disease of any kind;
while the hog and all other animals
are liable to cholera, trichina and
other diseases, for which reason their
product carries with it the seeds OF
bodily ills to the human family through
the medium of the kitchen. 1t is
strange that the public should turn up
it's nose at the article which is pure
and wholesome while willingly buying
and using it as an adulterant OF lard,
butterine and other articles used as
food. 1t would be very different il
they only knew how much of the lard
is made which is put up in shining
packages and appears so white and
beautiful when placed on the table.
Most of the lard sold for family con-
sumption contains a large percentage
of what is known in the trade as
"white grease" which is generally
renderings from hogs that have died
of disease. 1t is supposed by lard
refners that any traces OF the
cause of death must remain in
the tissues or fibers of the carcass, and
that such traces can be removed by
skillful cleaning and bleaching, the oil
or fat being eliminated as pure. This
is not so. If anything could accom-
plsh this result it would be total and
complete subsidence after thorough
cleaning by chemical process. But so
much time would be consumed by this
that it would not pay. The white
grease is often worked into lard and
sold to the consumer the same day:
while two weeks or even more is neces-
sary for complete subsidence after
cleaning. There are reputable firms
that deal only in straight goods, but
there are also reputable firms that
do not, but turn to account every kind
of material that will increase their
gains, without any regard to the public
safety.
Bakers and other who use cotton
seed oil are as yet backward to ac-
knowledge it, chiefly owing to the
prejudice that exists in the public mind
against its use, which in turn is due to
a general knowledge of the fact that it
is sometimes employed as an adulter-
ant. But some Of the most progressive
bakers and merchants are growing more
disposed to openly proclaim that they
use the article, and to give their reasons
therefor. OF course, the principal rea-
son is the fact that the oil is economi-
cal, which should, however, be a strong
recommendation so long as it can be
proved that the article is healthy. 1t
is estimated that for bakers use three
pounds of the oil will do the work of
four pounds of lard, while the cost at
wholesale is at present quarter of ii
cent per pound less for the former than
for the latter. This makes saving of
sixty-four dollars per month to the
baker who would use ten tierces of lard
in that time. OF course, the same per-
centage of saving would be found by
the use of the oil in the kitchen, though
the prices paid at retail are higher than
at wholesale.
In the manufacture Of high grades of
soap cotton-seed oil has no superior.
and large soap-makers use several
thousand barrels of it annually. Lard
refners are also heavy buyers
Miners in the West use it almost to
the exclusion of other kinds of oil
for illuminating purposes, as it
is non-explosive and gives a very
good light. But its chief value will
vet be found to lie in its qualities as an
article of human food, as it is builder
up and sustainer of bone and sinew. 1t
promises to be great aid to consump-
tives and other weak constitutions. At
least one case is known where it was
used in place of cod liver oil with the
most beneficial results.
Cotton seed oil contains no less than
ninety-fve per cent of nutriment
This statement is found in a report re-
Gently made to Parliament by the Pur-
veyor Of the English army in regard to
the use of certain articles as food He
recommended cotton seed oil as heat
producer and substitute for other fats,
and larnnlu as q Snhstituta for rnnat