Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-09-20
SOME BUTTER TESTS
METHODS BY WHICH TO DISTINGUISH
THE GENUINE ARTICLE.

tttN S6NSlNC nttSICs
The Use of Personalities With Fresh
Misunderstanding Matter In Many Sau-
snges-How to Detect Boric Acid In
Meat Products.
1t is n matter of common informa-
ton that oleomargarine is sometimes
substituted for butter and that rancid
and badly made butter is frequently
melted, washed with soda and churned
with milk for the preparation of reno
waited or'process butter.
Methods are available which, with a
little practice, may be employed to dis
tinguish between fresh butter, renovat-
cd OF process butter and oleomarga-
rine.
The spoon" test has been suggested
/ as household test and Is commonly
used by analytical chemists for distin-
gushing fresh butter from renovated
butter or oleomargarine. A lump of
butter two or three times the size Of a
pea is placed In a large spoon and
| it is then heated over an alcohol burn
cr. If more convenient, the spoon may
be held above the chimney Of an ordi-
nary kerosene lamp, or 1t may even be
held over an ordinary Illuminating gas
burner. If the sample in question be
fresh butter 1t will boil quietly with
the evolution of large number Of
small bubbles throughout the mass
which produce Il large amount of foam.
Oleomargarine and process butter, on
the other hand sputter and crackle,
making noise similar to that heard
when green stick is placed in fire.
Il small portion of the sample is placed
IN small bottle and set in vessel of
water sufficiently warm to melt the
sample. The sample is kept melted
from half an hour to an hour, when 1t
is examined. If renovated butter or
oleomargarine, the fat will be turbid,
while If genuine, fresh butter the fat
will almost certainly be entirely clear.
To manipulate what Is known as the
Warehouse, or milk, test about two
ounces of sweet milk Is placed in q
wide mouthed bottle, which is set In
n vessel Of boiling water. When the
milk is thoroughly heated teaspoon,
full of butter is added and the mix.
ture stirred with splinter of wood
until the fat is melted. The bottle is
then placed in dish Of ice water and
} the stirring continued until the fat
solidities. Now, if the sample be but.
ter, either fresh or renovated, it will
be solicited in granular condition
\ and distributed through the milk in
!, small particles. If, on the other hand
the sample consists of oleomargarine
it solidities practically in one piece and
may be lifted by the stirrer from the
milk.
Many persons believe that the great
mass of the fresh meat sold on the
market is preserved chemically. This
impression is entirely unfounded. The
cold storage facilities Of the present
day make the use Of preservatives
with fresh meat unnecessary, and the
larger packing houses do not employ
them. 1t sometimes happens that loca
butchers sprinkle preservatives ovel
a cut of meat in order that they may
keep it exposed on the block or hang
ing in show window as an adver
tisement. The use of chemical pre-
servatives with fresh meat Is confined
to this practice alone.
Personalities are very commonly
used with chopped meats and sausagcs
especially fresh sausage. They are nj
ways employed with canned Vienna
and Frankfurter sausages Enclosed II
! castings with the ends tied. Where tho
ends are cut personalities may be alb
sent. The reasa.i for this Is that the
temperature required for the complete
sterilization of sausages will either
burst or distort the skins when the
ends are tied, whereas sausages witt
cut ends afford an opportunity for the
escape Of the water and steam.
With many varieties Of sausagcs
both fresh and smoked, and with chop
ped meats of all descriptions, colOrin.
matter is sometimes employed. This !.
done partly for the purpose of satisfy
ing an unnatural demand for Il higl
colored article and partly sometimes Il
conceal the grayish color characteristic
of old meat, which should not be usct
ut all.
The preservatives employed witt
meat products are boric acid, bora!
and sulphitcs. TO detect boric acit
about tablespoonful Of the chopped
meat is thoroughly macerated with
little water. pressed through u bag ant
two or three tablespooNfuls OF til
liquid placed in n sauce dish with fif
| Il Of ct Il, r
chloric acid for each tablespoonful. TIL
liquid is then filtered through filter pa
per and piece of tumeric paper dip
ped into it and dried near lamp o
stove. II boric acid or boraX We're use,
for preserving the sample the tumeri
paper should be changed to n brigh
cherry red color If too much hydro
chlorlc acid has been employed dirt
browpish red color is obtained, whicl
, interferes with the color due to tn
presence of boric acid. Now, ii u drol
Of household ammonia be added to tn
colored tumeric paper and it turns
dark green, almost black color, the
boric acid is present. II the reddis
color, however was caused by the us
, of too much hylrochloric acid, thi
, green color does not form.
The corrosive nature of hydrochlori
acid must not be lost sight of. 1t mus
not be allowed to touch the fest
clothes or any mctal.-New York Trit
une.
III Only One Way to Save Him.
"While the religion of some men |
intellectual" said well known New
York clergyman, "the religion of man.
Is n thing of emotions.
Back in my boyhood days l remem