The preparation and properties of the margarines.

The margarines, as the name implies, are compounds formed by the chemical union of glycerol and margaric acid. The chemistry of this acid has enlisted the attention and interest of scientific investigators for a great many years. Since the classical researches of Chevreul on the fats in 1815, the subject has been the cause of a great deal of discussion, and a large number of chemists have contributed their share of patient toil and untiring energy in an effort to throw some light on the matter. It would seem advisable at this point to outline briefly the history of margaric acid and trace the various vicissitudes it has experienced in the last hundred years. [...