Vegan detective in a time machine: the search for the first vegan margarine

The advertisement at the top refers to the "finest plant butter" called "Laureol": "Laureol, finest plant butter, easy to digest, thus very beneficial for those with stomach ailments. Complete replacement of cow butter in the kitchen [cooking] and baking; free from water and salt, 100% purest natural plant fat, stable [as in it won't spoil] for years. 4 kilo [kg] Laureol Mark [the currency at the time] 5.80 postage paid within the country [Germany], under cash on delivery [they write "under" which sounds strange today] [c29 [this is probably the number of the advertisement]. Brothers Becker, Zittau, Saxony." It doesn't say what the ingredients are.

The adverstisement below refers to "Palmin" which I would not categorize as a "margarine" but rather a "vegetable shortening" for frying. "Palmin" still exists today as a brand.

"Coconut extract" under the brand name "Vegetaline" - it says "Recommended by doctors!". The manufacturer (or distributor) is given as the "German French Vegetaline Society, Melle i. H." I am not sure which "Melle" (it must be a name of a town) they refer to. There is one in western France and one in northwest Germany. But I'm not sure what the "i. H." stands for; "i." must be "in", and then a region that starts with "H". This seems to be pure coconut fat (?) meant to be used in cooking and baking. So, I wouldn't refer to it as a margarine.

Two ads for the same product: "Dr. Lahmann Vegetabile Milch". It seems that the product's name is just the plain, descriptive "Vegetabile Milch", i.e., vegetable (as in made entirely of plants) milk. "Vegetable Milk, invented by Dr. Lahmann MD, is only genuine if the tin (can) is labeled with the trademark and signature shown on the left. Imitations should be rejected. [n 1 Sole manufacturers Hewel & Veithen[,] Köln a. Rh. [i.e., Cologne; "a. Rh." must be "am Rhine", i.e., "on Rhine", at the river Rhine which runs through the city of Cologne]"

Christian Koeder