Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1886-07-29
BoGUs D UTTER.
The Effects OS tho OleOmnraurin
ssiiI-A Paper ON Artificial Itutter
sasid Its Health Effects.

The butter-dealers and especially the
farmers who dispose of their wares and
products in this city express much satis-
faction over the passage of the Congres-
sional bill regulating the sale Of oleomar-
garine, suine, buiterine ana other brands
of artiiicial butter. The only change
they desire in the bill would he the in.
crease in the tax upon hefatty substance.
But the fact that the law requires il to
be offered for sale in unbroken and
properly labeled packages, ii is held will
have almost as salutary IN effect in
driving it from the market as would
higher tax. There has been q law in
effect for year or two past prohibiting
the sale of artificial butter in this city,
without its being properly labeled but it
has never been possible for the officers to
enforce this law, OF il il has they have
made but little effort TO do 80.
At this time, when butter is 30 cheap
there is probably less oleomarga-
rine sold than at any other part of
the season. There is doubtless, great
deal, however, even now, but in the fall
and winter the quantity is very great,
much in excess of what any one would
suppose. Great quantities Of bogus butter
are shipped from New York in hrkins
through this city during the year, and a
great part of il goes to stations on the
railroad in the country districts. 1t is
said it is here worked over and printed
in pound humps and offered in the mar
kets as pure country butter. The diff
Guilty in distinguishing between the
genuine article and the spurious brands
is 30 great that the deception can be
practiced readily and with but little fear
of detection, and the imposition thus
practiced is immensely profitable ns the
cost of the bogus butter is but trifle.
The special interest in oleomargarine
at the present time, makes brief refer
ence TO the character and history of the
article appropriate. Oleomargarine was
invented during the siege of Paris. The
| besieged were unable to receive the sup
plies of butter, and the government
offered reward for substitute. One
Monsieur Mege patented substance
| which was manufactured from the fat
of horses, dogs and cattle and other sub
| stances. The patent was transferred to
the United States in 1872. The manufac-
ture commenced in New York city. In
1876 and there were seven or eight oleo
factories there. The trade has developed IN
NewYork, Chicago, Philadelphia and
other cities, until now there is
about ten hundred million pounds
manufactured in the United States
in one year, forming about three
fifths Of the total export trade in butter.
European countries are passing laws pro-
hibit,ng the importation Of American but
ter, on account Of the extensive a6ultera-
Lion.
John Michels. avery prominent scientist
Il New York, gives the following as the
tsult Of his examination as to the health
fulness of oleomargarine "As | have
stated, my examination of oleomnrgarine
extended over some months, during which
period invariably found that each sample
contained cells of a very suspicious char.
aeter, with fragments OF tissue and muscle.
This led me 10 investigate the process ol
manufacture, and I then found that during
the whole process, from first to last, the
animal fat, &C., of which this substance
ia made, is never subjected to higher
temperature than 1902 Fahrenheit. II n
once occurred to me that taking into nc
count the we'll known thermal death poin
Of certain organisms frequently found il
animals, which, although diseased, arr
regarded by dealers as fit for food, sucl
a temperature of l20p Fahrenheit
was totally insufficient TO destro!
the germs or even the audue
individuals of such forms Of life. Agail
the original French patent states that tn
stomaehs of two pigs or sheep should b.
chopped with certain amount of fat
on account of the pepsine they contained
and found that this practice was in us
in the New York oleomargarine manu-
factories. For these reasons / conclude
that oleomargarine thus manufactured i
not q safe or wholesome article of food
and assert that, however disguised in mp
pearance, ,oleomargarine,a as offered for sale
is nothing but raw fat, liquitied, scented
colored and favored to give it n spuriou
appearance of butter, and that those wh'
use it run the risk of trichinp, from tn
stomachs of pigs chopped up with tn
fact, and that infection from certain con
tagious diseases, which are common t.
man and the domestic animals, might fol
low. What say is, that it is importan
in estimating the dietetic value of oleomar
garine asa substitute for butter, totakeint
| account that it is manufactured from tn
fat of animals, the stomaehs of pigs an,
! sheep, and that 1902 Fahrenheit is total
| | insufficient to kill the embryos of para
i sites, or destroy the germs of disease
which exist in very large proportion Q
> domestic animals used for food, and tina
) have found portions of tissue an
, muscle in oleomargarine when offered fo
i sale, and cells and forms of suspicion
; character, and that others have positivel
2 identified germs of disease in that sui
i stance, On this head Prof. Verril of Yal
4 | n..I D.nf Snirt ioona xUlt
Q me; the first makes the assertion tina
trichinm and worms do not appear i
d caul fat, as if that covered the Who'll
I ground of my statement. There can b
i no doubt that fat and grease of ever
description are used to make oleomai
o earine, because all the caul fat Of oxe
+ brought to New York City in
b week would not be sufficient fo
9 one mandatory for four day
e and there are seven oleomnrgarin
n manufactures. But surely Prof. Verr
has heard of trichine in the stomachs
Q pigs. And, moreover, / spoke of all th
4 septic organisms. Prof. Brewer has bee
r publicly advertised 40 charging me wit
J. talking nonsense when / allege that Il
v refuse of city abbatoirs and the stomach
i of animals, merely subjected to tempe
ii ature of 1909 Fahrenheit, is not fit an
n wholesome food to put on the breakfa
o table. On this point l will quote from
n letter from the Rev. W. ii. Di!linger
n the Royal society of London. He says
If You will then see that by well aud del
s. cately prepared apparatus, was enable
b. to test the destruGtiveness of heat direct
IN GU the organism and to prove by the u
5, of the highest powers that they con
s. endure-as fully developed forms
r activity--temperatures up to ldO' to IA
ID F., without permanent destructio
te They were rendered inactive for a tim
ii hut sooner or later revived, and
have strong experimental evidence lea
I'd ing mp to the conclusion that q
ia whole sceptic series of organims requir
ne Temperature of 140e F. TO kill the ful
a developed living forms. But besides IL
b. we know now that the forms of this seri
is of organisms require at least 2l2' to %
nj Il. for their destruction in fluid COM
he quently it is no coloring of facts to 8
that the temperature reached i'll the ma
ufaeture OF oleomargarine is perfectly
nocuals to such organisms of this XII
- as the refuse Of fat may contain IN
,;s also state that since my results were I'll
M made known, the following independe
ar. confirmation appeared in the Scent
nj american, giving the result OF the appel
n ance OF butter aud oleomargarine und
he the microscope, by Mr.. Thomas Taylt
his microscopic of the department of ag
40. culture ut Washington Mr.. Tayl
~ reports that when rnre dai
er. butter is viewed under
he microscope, the former consists OF
be globules and the crystals of common sa
a lsswhen specimen of oleomargarine
ZOO examined in the same manner, the fi'
,rna snankled over with shiny partiel